How do producers, consumers, and decomposers function in an ecosystem?

Prepare for the Integrated Science and Technology (ISAT) Exam with our quiz. Use our flashcards and multiple choice questions to study effectively. Each question includes hints and detailed explanations. Get ready to ace your exam!

Producers, consumers, and decomposers play distinct and crucial roles in an ecosystem that ensure energy flow and nutrient cycling. Producers, such as plants and photosynthetic organisms, are fundamental as they create energy through the process of photosynthesis, converting sunlight into chemical energy stored in the form of glucose. This energy serves as the starting point for most food chains.

Consumers, which include animals and humans, obtain energy by consuming producers or other consumers. They rely on the energy created by producers and, through various levels of the food chain, ensure that energy moves through the ecosystem.

Decomposers, including fungi and bacteria, recycle nutrients back into the environment by breaking down dead organic matter and waste products. This decomposition process releases essential nutrients back into the soil, making them available for producers to use once again and thus completing the cycle.

The choice that states producers create energy, consumers obtain energy, and decomposers recycle nutrients accurately captures these interdependent relationships within an ecosystem.

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