To recycle nutrients, an ecosystem must have, at a minimum, which of the following components?

• A. producers and decomposers
• B. only consumers
• C. only producers
• D. herbivores and carnivores

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the role of producers in an ecosystem: Producers, such as plants and algae, are organisms that can create their own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis. They form the base of the food chain and provide energy for other organisms.
2. Understand the role of decomposers in an ecosystem: Decomposers, such as fungi and bacteria, break down dead organic matter and recycle nutrients back into the soil, making them available for producers to use again.
3. Recognize that consumers, herbivores, and carnivores depend on producers for energy but do not directly recycle nutrients. They are part of the energy flow but not the nutrient recycling process.
4. Analyze the minimum requirements for nutrient recycling: Producers are needed to create organic matter, and decomposers are needed to break it down and return nutrients to the environment.
5. Conclude that an ecosystem must have both producers and decomposers to recycle nutrients effectively, as they work together to maintain the nutrient cycle.