In aquatic ecosystems, the flow of energy and the accumulation of chemicals, including fertilizers, often follow a pattern known as biomagnification. This occurs when substances like fertilizers accumulate in organisms at higher trophic levels because they consume organisms that have already absorbed those substances.
In this scenario, fertilizer sprayed on a field can enter the aquatic ecosystem, where it is initially taken up by primary producers, such as diatoms and algae (option A). These organisms are then consumed by primary consumers, like zooplankton (option C), which are in turn eaten by larger fish (option D) and other secondary consumers like crabs (option B).
Considering the question specifically about which organisms would contain the highest concentration of the chemical fertilizer, the answer would typically be large-sized fishes (option D). This is because these large fishes are at the top of the food chain and would have accumulated the fertilizers through the food web, consuming smaller fish, zooplankton, and primary producers that absorbed the fertilizer.
Therefore, the correct answer is:
D. large-sized fishes
4 answers