Question

A leaf falls from a tree and lands on the ground. Through time, decomposers digest the organic materials in the leaf. Which of the following statements regarding this scenario is true? View Available Hint(s) A leaf falls from a tree and lands on the ground. Through time, decomposers digest the organic materials in the leaf. Which of the following statements regarding this scenario is true? The organic materials in the leaf have been successfully disposed of and are now gone. The decomposer has now created new matter in the form of soil. The decomposers receive all of the energy that the plant's leaf obtained from the sunlight throughout its lifetime. The decomposer has recycled the organic materials in the leaf and released them back into the soil.

Answer 1

The decomposer has recycled the organic materials in the leaf and released them back into the soil.

Step-by-step explanation:

Decomposers are the heterotrophic microbes that derive their nutrition by digesting the dead organic matter present in the dead bodies of living beings such as fallen leaves. As a leaf falls from a plant on the land, decomposers present in the soil start its digestion.

The organic and inorganic nutrients present in the leaves are digested into the simpler substances which in turn are released back into the soil. Therefore, decomposers serve in nutrient cycling by releasing substances such as carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur from the dead bodies of living beings back into nature to allow their reuse.