Question

What must be preserved in an ecosystem, if the system needs to be maintained?

• A. Producers and carnivores
• B. Producers and decomposers
• C. Carnivores and decomposers
• D. Herbivores and carnivores

Answer 1

The correct option is B Producers and decomposers

The most important characteristics of any ecosystem are energy flow and cycling of materials. Producers and decomposers are indispensable for any ecosystem. Producers trap solar energy and convert it into usable form as carbohydrates which are passed on to successive levels through food chains and food webs. The other important characteristic of the ecosystem is cycling of materials. This is called as biogeochemical cycles, in which decomposers are most important because they will release the mineral nutrients back to the environment. Thus, the correct answer is option B.