Question

Which of the following are nature's cleaners?
A. Producers
B. Consumers
C. Symbionts
D. Decomposers and scavengers

Answer 1

Hint: These organisms are very important for an ecosystem to sustain and flourish. They essentially ensure that the nutrient uptake cycle is not disturbed and return the stored nutrients in other organisms by acting upon dead and decaying matter.

Complete answer: Decomposers and scavengers are known to break down dead plants and animals. They are responsible for breaking down the waste materials of other organisms.
The major difference between scavenger and decomposer is that the scavengers mainly act on dead and decaying plants and animals and on the other hand, the decomposers act upon the simpler particles produced by the action of scavengers. Scavengers and Decomposers are therefore considered to be the cleaning sources of nature.

Additional information: The decomposers release proteolytic and carbohydrate digesting enzymes among others, to break down the complex organic matter and convert them into simpler units that are returned to the soil.
Plants uptake these nutrients and ultimately the nutrient flow is maintained when organisms of higher trophic level consume these plants. In this way, there is a continuous flow of energy in the food web.

So, the correct answer is option D. Decomposers and scavengers.

Note: In the absence of scavengers and decomposers the dead organisms would start piling up and the nutrient cycle, as a result, would come to a halt, which will ultimately lead to the disturbance and termination of a food chain in any ecosystem.