Question

The food web below shows a diagram of a living system.


In the food web, energy and mass are continuously transferred between the producers, consumers, and decomposers.

Food webs are evidence that
A.
more matter must be created because mass is used up once it is transferred to decomposers.
B.
there are more producers than consumers or decomposers in living systems.
C.
consumers require more energy than producers and decomposers.
D.
living systems follow the laws of conservation of mass and energy.

Answer 1

D. living systems follow the laws of conservation of mass and energy.

Explanation: the food web shows matter and energy being transferred among producers, consumers, and decomposers and cycled through the system (nutrients returned by decomposers). This demonstrates that mass and energy are conserved as they move between organisms, even though energy is ultimately lost as heat.