The visible plants seen on the landscape are merely the photosynthetic leaves gathering sunlight for a much larger community underground. Just beneath the surface lies the main stems or rhizomes, running horizontally. Here they lie protected from drying, grazing, trampling, fire, and frost.

Which is the best summary of this excerpt?

A.
Grazing animals can only damage the plant leaves above ground on the prairie.
B.
Sunlight provides the most essential food for leaves and their stems.
C.
Long root systems have evolved over time, keeping many plants and grasses alive.
D.
Much prairie foliage lives underground, protecting itself from the elements.