Based on this excerpt, why is the Barataria-
Terrebonne estuary system described as a "rotten
plant factory"?
A Its organisms include shrimp, snails, and crabs.
B Its land has been developed for industrial use.
(C) Its wetlands contain decomposing plant material.
Its soil holds more salt than other wetlands.
D
Southeast of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, lies an
expanse of wetlands that might be described as a
"rotten plant factory." "It's pretty simple when you
think about it," says Andrew Barron, water quality
expert for the Barataria-Terrebonne National
Estuary Program. "The productivity of estuary
systems begins with wetland plants. Estuaries are
giant detritus factories. [Detritus is decomposing
plant material.] Big saltmarsh grasslands in the
lower parts of the estuary and freshwater marshes
and swamps in the upper parts nourish organisms
like shrimps, snails, and fiddler crabs that eat the
detritus."