Identify the correct statements.

A. Detritivores perform fragmentation.

B. The humus is further degrade by some microbes during mineralization.

C. Water soluble inorganic nutrients go down into the soil and get precipitate by a process called leaching.

D. The detritus food chain begins with living organisms.

E. Earthworms break down detritus into smaller particles by a process called catabolism.

Choose the correct answer from the options given below.

A, B, and C are correct. D and E are incorrect.
A. Detrivores, such as earthworms, help in the decomposition process by physically fragmenting the dead
organic matter into smaller pieces. This facilitates decomposition by increasing surface area and promoting microbial  activity.
B. Humus is the dark organic matter formed from the decomposition of dead plant and animal material. It undergoes further degradation by microbes during the process of mineralisation. Microbes break down the organic compounds in humus, releasing nutrients in inorganic forms that can be utilised by plants.
C. Leaching is a process in which water-soluble inorganic nutrients, such as nitrates and phosphates, are washed down through the soil profi le by water movement. These nutrients can accumulate in lower layers of the soil or get precipitated, leading to their loss from the upper layers of the soil. 
D. The detritus food chain starts with dead organic matter or detritus, not with living organisms. Detritus consists of dead plant and animal material, such as fallen leaves, decaying wood or animal carcasses.
E. Earthworms break down detritus into smaller particles by a process called fragmentation. Catabolism refers to the metabolic breakdown of complex molecules into simpler ones. Earthworms physically fragment the detritus which facilitates decomposition by increasing surface area and promoting microbial activity.