Imagine that a cheetah has just eaten an antelope. How does the amount of matter currently in the ecosystem compare to the amount of matter in the ecosystem before the cheetah ate the antelope?

Question

A
There is less matter now than there was before

B
There is more matter now than there was before

C
The amount of matter in the ecosystem has not changed

D
The amount of matter increases and then slowly decreases

Answer 1

C. The amount of matter in the ecosystem has not changed.

When the cheetah eats the antelope, the matter that was in the antelope is simply transferred to the cheetah. The total amount of matter in the ecosystem remains constant, as energy and matter are conserved in ecological systems.