Most primary production does not pass through the live consumer system.Which of the following is correct relative to this statement?
A) Much primary production dies without being grazed and supports the decomposer system.
B) Not all primary productivity is assimilated to biomass because a proportion is lost to respiratory heat.
C) Plant biomass that is eaten by herbivores and herbivore biomass eaten by carnivores is not entirely incorporated into consumer biomass. What is not used is lost in feces and is used by the decomposer system.
D) All primary productivity is grazed.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A) A significant portion of primary production ends up not being consumed by herbivores but instead dies and becomes part of the decomposer system, contributing to nutrient cycling.B) Not all the energy captured by primary producers is converted into biomass; some of it is lost as heat during respiration, reducing the amount available for higher trophic levels.C) The efficiency of energy transfer between trophic levels is not 100%. Some of the energy consumed is not converted into consumer biomass but is lost as waste, which then becomes available to decomposers.

Most Primary Production Does Not Pass Through the Live Consumer