Detritivores in the soil break down detritus into smaller particles. This process is called ______. 

The correct answer is fragmentation.

Important Points

• Decomposition of detritus (dead remains of plants and animals) is the process in which decomposers break down complex organic matter into inorganic substances like carbon dioxide, water, and nutrients.
• The important steps in the process of decomposition are fragmentation, leaching, catabolism, humification, and mineralization.
  • Detritivores (like 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.
  • In the catabolism process, Bacterial and fungal enzymes degrade detritus into simpler inorganic substances.
  • Humification leads to the accumulation of a dark-colored amorphous substance called humus that is highly resistant to microbial action and undergoes decomposition at an extremely slow rate.
  • The humus is further degraded by some microbes and the release of inorganic nutrients occurs by the process known as mineralization.