Energy and nutrients flow from one trophic level to another in an ecosystem. Which one of the following statements correctly describes the direction of flow of energy and nutrients in an ecosystem ?
Energy flow is cyclic and nutrient flow is unidirectional.
Energy flow is unidirectional and nutrient flow is cyclic.
Both energy and nutrient flow are unidirectional.
Both energy and nutrient flow are cyclic.
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This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-2 – 2023
Energy enters an ecosystem primarily from the sun (for producers) and is transferred from one trophic level to the next (producers to consumers, etc.). At each transfer, a significant amount of energy is lost as heat, and this energy cannot be reused by organisms in lower trophic levels. Therefore, energy flow is unidirectional and non-cyclic. Nutrients, such as carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, etc., are continuously cycled within the ecosystem, moving from the environment to organisms and back to the environment through processes like decomposition.