The correct answer that describes what the arrows indicate is: B. Energy flows in one direction in an ecosystem, from producers to consumers.
The arrows in a food chain represent the direction of energy flow from one organism to another within an ecosystem. Energy flows from the food to the organism that consumes it.
Given the options:
A. Energy is continuously recycled by the organisms in an ecosystem.
This is incorrect because energy is not recycled in an ecosystem; it flows in one direction. Nutrients are recycled, but energy, once used, dissipates mostly as heat.
B. Energy flows in one direction in an ecosystem, from producers to consumers.
This is the correct answer. In the food chain, energy starts with the producers (like grass) that capture energy from the sun and then flows to the consumers (like grasshoppers, frogs, and raccoons).
C. More of the available energy in an ecosystem is given to larger animals than to small animals.
This statement is incorrect. In fact, the opposite is true due to the 10% rule in trophic levels, where only about 10% of the energy is passed on to the next level.
D. Organisms at the end of the food chain receive more energy than those at the beginning.
This is incorrect. Organisms at the end of the food chain receive less energy than those at the beginning because energy is lost at each trophic level due to metabolic processes and as heat.