Final answer:
It is false that matter and energy are depleted through transfer in ecosystems; matter is recycled, and energy is transformed but conserved according to the laws of thermodynamics, although it becomes less available for work.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that matter and energy are slowly depleted when transferred within and between organisms and their physical environment is false. In biology, the concept that matter and energy move through living systems and their environment is paramount. According to the law of conservation of matter, matter is not depleted but rather is continually recycled. Energy is also conserved but can be transformed from one form to another. When energy moves through ecosystems, it is often released as heat during energy transfer processes like metabolism, which can no longer be used for work; however, it is not lost or depleted in the thermodynamic sense.
Living organisms are open systems that interact with their environment, and these interactions lead to the movement of matter and the transformation and transfer of energy according to the laws of thermodynamics. While energy may seem to be 'used up' as it is converted and becomes less available for organisms to do work, the total amount of energy and matter in a closed system remains constant. In an ecosystem, energy from the sun is absorbed by plants during photosynthesis and is then passed to other organisms through food chains, albeit with a loss of usable energy at each transfer.