Final answer:
The degradation of organic matter is influenced by nutrient availability, abiotic conditions, and the nature of the microbial community present, therefore all of the choices are correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
The degradation of organic matter is influenced by multiple factors. These include nutrient availability, abiotic conditions, and the nature of the microbial community present. Each of these factors plays a critical role in how efficiently organic matter breaks down in an ecosystem.
Nutrient availability, such as the presence of organic nitrogen, can greatly affect the speed and efficiency of decomposition processes because many ecosystem processes like primary production and decomposition are limited by available nutrients. Abiotic conditions including temperature, moisture, sunlight, and oxygen availability can either enhance or inhibit microbial activity and, consequently, the decomposition of organic matter. For instance, oxygen-poor environments like bogs can slow down decomposition, leading to the accumulation of peat. Finally, the specific microbial community present determines what can be decomposed and how quickly, as different microbes specialize in breaking down different types of organic material.
Therefore, given these points, the answer to the question 'Degradation of organic matter is influenced by what?' would be 'All of the choices are correct.'