Question

. Just as energy flows through an ecosystem, matter also moves from organism to organism and from organisms to the environment. Using either a kelp forest or a hydrothermal vent ecosystem as an example, explain how carbon can move through the organisms in that ecosystem

Answer 1

The kelp ecosystem consists of the Kelp(Producers) →Sea urchins( primary consumers)→ Horn shark (secondary consumers)→ Northern elephant seals(tertiary consumers).

Explanation:

Kelp are the producers of this ecosystem in which uses sunlight to produce organic compound which is used by the primary consumers.

The primary consumers are herbivores. They feed on the algae and other plant material( organic material)

The secondary consumers feed on the herbivores. This is also a source of carbon to organism.

Then the tertiary consumer consumes the secondary consumers. So, the flow of energy starts from the producers and continues till the largest group of organism present in kelp ecosystem.

Then when the organism dies the carbon and the organic compound is made available in water by the help of the various bacteria and fungi.

This is how the continuous flow of carbon takes place in the kelp ecosystem.