Fill in the blanks with a suitable word. i. The vertical distribution of different species occupying different levels is called _ _ _ a _ _ _ _ . ii. The breakdown of detritus into smaller particles is called _ _ _ b _ _ _ . iii. In each trophic level, a certain mass of living material at a particular time is called _ _ _ c _ _ _ .

Step-by-step solution

Detritivores (e.g., earthworm) break down detritus into smaller particles. This process is called fragmentation. The total amount or number of living things or of one kind of living thing (such as an uncut farm crop, the fish in a pond, or organisms in an ecosystem) in a particular area at any given time is called standing crop.