Transfer into:
- dead tissue
- fecal matter
- shed material
- dissolved organic matter
Operational definition
Ecosystem rate.
The rate at which organic matter enters nonliving detrital pools.
Sources include:
- mortality;
- leaf and tissue litter;
- shed structures;
- feces;
- egested material;
- dead microbial cells;
- dissolved organic releases;
- abandoned reproductive material.
It is an input to the detrital food web rather than an amount of standing detritus.