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Consider the following statements regarding Decomposers. 1. By the process of leaching, water-soluble inorganic nutrients go down into the soil horizon and get precipitated as unavailable salts.  2. Humification leads to the accumulation of a dark-coloured amorphous substance called humus that is highly resistant to microbial action and undergoes decomposition at an extremely slow rate.  Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Consider the following statements regarding Decomposers. 1. By the process of leaching, water-soluble inorganic nutrients go down into the soil horizon and get precipitated as unavailable salts.  2. Humification leads to the accumulation of a dark-coloured amorphous substance called humus that is highly resistant to microbial action and undergoes decomposition at an extremely slow rate.  Which of the statements given above is/are correct? Correct Answer Both 1 and 2

The correct answer is Both 1 and 2.

Key Points

  • Decomposers break down complex organic matter into inorganic substances like carbon dioxide, water, and nutrients and the process is called decomposition.
  • Dead plant remains such as leaves, bark, flowers, and dead remains of animals, including faecal matter, constitute detritus, which is the raw material for decomposition.
  • The important steps in the process of decomposition are fragmentation, leaching, catabolism, humification, and mineralization.
  • Detritivores (e.g. earthworms) break down detritus into smaller particles. This process is called fragmentation.
  • By the process of leaching, water-soluble inorganic nutrients go down into the soil horizon and get precipitated as unavailable salts. Hence, Statement 1 is correct.
  • Bacterial and fungal enzymes degrade detritus into simpler inorganic substances. This process is called catabolism.
  • It is important to note that all the above steps in decomposition operate simultaneously on the detritus.
  • Humification and mineralization occur during decomposition in the soil.
  • Humification leads to the accumulation of a dark-coloured amorphous substance called humus that is highly resistant to microbial action and undergoes decomposition at an extremely slow rate. Hence, Statement 2 is correct.
    • Being colloidal in nature it serves as a reservoir of nutrients.
    • The hummus is further degraded by some microbes and the release of inorganic nutrients occurs by the process known as mineralization.

Related Questions

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