Final answer:
The assertion that deciduous plants lose most of their nutrients when leaves are shed is false. Deciduous plants reabsorb important nutrients before leaf senescence in a process known as nutrient recycling, conserving their energy and matter for spring growth.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that most of the nutrients of a deciduous plant are lost when the leaves senesce and drop to the ground is false b. false. Deciduous plants have adapted a nutrient recycling process: before the leaves are shed, valuable nutrients are reabsorbed by the plant. This process ensures that the plant conserves energy and matter. In the spring, the stored nutrients support the growth of new foliage. Therefore, while leaves do add some nutrients to the soil when they decompose, the plants do not lose most of their nutrients with the leaves; they bank energy over the seasons using this strategy.
Additionally, understory plants in a temperate forest have adaptations to capture limited nutrients due to the reduced sunlight and competition with larger trees. The deciduous trees themselves go through a dormant period in winter without photosynthesis, which affects their net primary productivity compared to that of tropical wet forests.