[paul.fr]

How good would a human body be as fertiliser? once it had started the process of decaying would it help in plant growth?

[dentstudent]

Have you ever thought of counselling?

It depends on how much will actually make into the soil. I suspect much of it would go to fly larvae and scavengers for example.

I have come across a term in forestry when dealing with the growth of a given tree. In a particular forest, there may be one tree the for some reason has grown more readily than the others. This may be attributed to the "dead sheep" syndrome, where, well, a sheep ended up, rotted by the roots and provided the tree with a valuable nutrient supply. I suspect anything that releases P, K or N when it decomposes will improve growth. Also, there are many processes which will integrate the body into the soil, which may enhance the soils qualities - water retention capacities, airation and so on. You would add horse manure and straw to heavy soils to break them up and become more suitable for plant growth, so it's not just the chemical benefit, but a material benefit too.

[paul.fr]

so, an enviromentally friendly murderer should always bury his/her victims.

[paul.fr]

Have you ever thought of counselling?

Councelling! I'm as stable as the next atom with excess internal energy []

[dentstudent]

In order for the soil to get the benefit, then I guess so. I don't know how far down this process still works though. How deep do earthworms go?

[paul.fr]

do you notice how green and often overgrown cemeteries are? yet crematories tend to be all tarmac and concrete!...just a thought.

[dentstudent]

do you notice how green and often overgrown cemeteries are? yet crematories tend to be all tarmac and concrete!...just a thought.

I think this might have to do with social conditioning too.....