An environmental scientist investigated the rate of decomposition of two agricultural crop residues, wheat straw and alfalfa shoots, placed in mesh litter bags in a field. Both samples began with an initial dry mass of 80.0 grams on day 0.
| Time in days | Mass of wheat straw in grams | Mass of alfalfa shoots in grams |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 80.0 | 80.0 |
| 40 | 71.5 | 52.0 |
| 80 | 62.2 | 31.5 |
| 120 | 54.0 | 18.0 |
| 160 | 45.1 | 9.5 |
Compare the trends shown in the data for the mass of wheat straw and alfalfa shoots over the 160-day period.
