The most accurate statement regarding the movement of energy and matter in ecosystems is:
Energy flows in one direction, and matter cycles through the environment.
In ecosystems, energy is primarily transferred through food chains and webs, starting from producers (like plants) that capture solar energy, and moving up to consumers and decomposers. This energy transfer is unidirectional and diminishes at each trophic level.
On the other hand, matter (such as carbon, nitrogen, and water) cycles through different biotic and abiotic components of the ecosystem. It is recycled through processes like decomposition, respiration, and photosynthesis, making it reusable within the environment.