I assume you mean the decay process that involves the degradation of dead organisms and the redistribution of their nutrients. One trend we can clearly see is the Keeling Curve. This curve shows the oscillating levels of CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere as plants store CO2 through photosynthesis and then the process of decomposition releases that carbon back into the atmosphere. Additionally, we look at decomposition as the process of freeing nutrients so that live organisms can start to use them again. Lastly, decomposition is the key process that helps to build soil. Soil relies on a complex structure of organic compounds, living micro/macrobiota, parent material (minerals), and other abiotic factors like the water cycle. The structure of soil relies on the process of decomposition to fuel the living organisms and to transform organic compounds into chemicals that can hold and retain nutrients.
