How does energy move through an ecosystem?

Energy movement through an ecosystem follows a defined pathway, primarily from producers to consumers, which is accurately reflected in the chosen response. In an ecosystem, producers, such as plants, capture energy from sunlight through photosynthesis, converting it into chemical energy stored in organic molecules. This energy is then transferred to primary consumers, such as herbivores, that eat the producers. As energy moves through the food chain, it passes on to secondary consumers (carnivores) and further up to tertiary consumers.

This one-way flow of energy is a fundamental concept in ecology, known as the "trophic structure," illustrating how energy diminishes with each transfer due to metabolic processes, inefficiencies, and heat loss. While energy is essential for various life processes, it is not recycled in the sense that matter can be; thus, it progressively decreases as it is passed from one trophic level to the next. The cyclical movement of energy presented in other choices does not accurately reflect this one-directional path within an ecosystem.