Why aren’t forests around the world steaming like heaps of composts

Question

So I was wondering – if organic material in my backyard compost pile generate heat and steam, why aren’t forests floors around the world doing the same?

In: 129

Answer 1

The organic material on the forest floor accumulates rather slowly, or rather in chunks, over the course of time, and ultimately in rather thin layers. It is simply not concentrated enough to get the bacteria growth and heat necessary to steam the same way a constructed pile of compost will.