Question

which of the following is true about food webs? a. animals can only belong to one trophic level b. autotrophs and detritivores belong to the same trophic level c. all organisms end up either as detritus or consumed d. all of the above are true e. none of the above is true

Answer 1

The correct response is that all organisms end up either as detritus or consumed in a food web. Animals can belong to multiple trophic levels, and autotrophs and detritivores exist at different levels within an ecosystem's food web.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer to the question about food webs is 'c. all organisms end up either as detritus or consumed.' This is true because in ecosystems, organisms either become part of the detrital food web by dying and decomposing, or they are consumed by other organisms within the food chain or food web. Animals can belong to more than one trophic level as they might have varied diets that place them in different levels at different times. For instance, humans can be primary consumers when they eat vegetables, secondary when eating herbivorous animals, or even tertiary consumers when eating carnivorous animals like salmon. Autotrophs, such as plants and phytoplankton, generally occupy the first trophic level by producing energy through photosynthesis, while detritivores like fungi and bacteria, which decompose organic matter, are often considered a separate category and occupy a different part of the food web.