I collected some links and quotes while browsing to refresh myself on the phases and organisms involved:
Colorado State U.
Power-Point-like overview of composting & compost organisms:
http://www.extsoilcrop.colosta...
Cornell: "Compost Microorganisms": Bacteria, Actinomycetes, Fungi, Protozoa & Rotifers.
http://compost.css.cornell.edu...
26-page Cornell PDF Chapter 1:
"THE SCIENCE OF COMPOSTING" (Chemistry, Physics & Biology)
http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/ch...
1–6. Functional Groups of Organisms in a Compost Food Web.
Tertiary Consumers are organisms that eat secondary consumers:
centipedes, predatory mites, rove beetles, pseudoscorpions
Secondary Consumers are organisms that eat primary consumers:
springtails, feather-winged beetles, and some types of mites, nematodes, and protozoa
Primary Consumers are organisms that feed on organic residues:
actinomycetes and other bacteria, fungi, snails, slugs, millipedes, sowbugs, some types of mites, nematodes, and protozoa
Google Images - "compost phases"
https://www.google.com/search?...
image, lots of bugs
http://www.google.com/imgres?i...
