Which one of the following processes during decomposition is correctly described?

Options

A. Catabolism-Last step in the decomposition under fully anaerobic condition
B. Leaching -Water soluble inorganic nutrients rise ot the top layers of soil
C. Fragmentation -Carried out by organisms such as earthworm
D. Humificatioin -leads to the accumulation of a dark coloured substance hums which undergoes microbial action at a very fast rate

Answer

C

Explanation

Water soluble inorganic nutrients go down into soil hozion and get precipitated as unavailable salts by the process of leaching. Bacterial and fungal enzymes degrade detritus into simple inorganic substance by the process of catabolism

`*` All the above 3 steps (fragmentation, leaching and catabolism) in decomposition operate simultaneously on the detritus . Humification and mineralisation occurs during decomposition in the soil.
`*` Humification leads to accumlation of dark coloured amorphous substance called humus.
`*` Humus is highly resistant to microbial action and undergoes decomposition at an extremely slow rate.
`*` The humus is further degarded by some microbes and release of inorganic nutrients occur by the process called mineralisation.