Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow:
The earthworm is often referred to as the farmer's 'friend' due to its beneficial role in the breakdown of complex organic matter and soil aeration. Similarly, decomposers play a crucial role in converting complex organic matter into inorganic substances like carbon dioxide, water, and nutrients through the process of decomposition. Detritus, consisting of dead plant remains (leaves, bark, flowers) and animal waste, serves as the raw material for decomposition. Decomposition involves several important steps: fragmentation, leaching, catabolism, humification, and mineralization.
Read the given statements and choose the correct option.
Statement I: The humus is further degraded by some microbes and release of inorganic nutrients occur by the process known as mineralisation.
Statement II: Dead plant remains such as leaves, bark, flowers and dead remains of animals, including fecal matter, constitute detritus.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Both the statements are correct.
Decomposition starts with detritus and ends with the release of inorganic nutrients from humus. Both statements describe NCERT points about this process.
Statement I: The humus is further degraded by some microbes and release of inorganic nutrients occur by the process known as mineralisation. — True. Humus is broken down very slowly by some microbes, and the inorganic nutrients set free in this step are released by mineralisation.
Statement II: Dead plant remains such as leaves, bark, flowers and dead remains of animals, including fecal matter, constitute detritus. — True. These dead remains make up detritus, the raw material for decomposition.
NCERT Extract:
Decomposition – “… Dead plant remains such as leaves, bark, flowers and dead remains of animals, including fecal matter, constitute detritus, which is the raw material for decomposition. The important steps in the process of decomposition are fragmentation, leaching, catabolism, humification and mineralisation.”
Decomposition – “… Being colloidal in nature it serves as a reservoir of nutrients. The humus is further degraded by some microbes and release of inorganic nutrients occur by the process known as mineralisation.”