The Community of Detritivores, Such as Earthworms, Millipedes, Slugs, and Pseudoscorpions

Multiple Choice

The community of detritivores, such as earthworms, millipedes, slugs, and pseudoscorpions, living in the leaf litter on the shady floor of a deciduous forest obtains its energy and nutrients primarily from

A) photosynthesis or algae living in the soil beneath the leaves.
B) predation on one another.
C) chemosynthesis by green and purple sulfur bacteria living on the surface of the leaves.
D) decomposition of the leaves of deciduous trees that fall on the surface of the soil.
E) carbohydrates formed in the roots of the trees that leach out into the surrounding soil.