Final answer:
The statement that correctly describes the relationship between energy and nutrients in an ecosystem is 'Energy flows and nutrients cycle.' A food chain better illustrates the movement of energy from one trophic level to the next, while nutrients like C, H, O, and N cycle through the ecosystem. So the correct option is c.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct statement that describes the relationship between energy and nutrients in an ecosystem is c. Energy flows and nutrients cycle. Energy in an ecosystem typically enters through producers like plants that harness sunlight through photosynthesis. This energy flows from plants to herbivores and then to carnivores in a food chain. Conversely, nutrients cycle within an ecosystem. Nutrients such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen are passed between the biotic and abiotic parts of the ecosystem through processes like the water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles. These nutrients continuously move through different forms and are recycled back into the ecosystem, sustaining the various life forms within it.
A food chain would be a better resource than a food web to answer the question of how energy moves from an organism on one trophic level to an organism on the next trophic level. A food chain clearly illustrates the direct transfer of energy between successive trophic levels in a linear fashion, showing the direct predator-prey relationships. For example, a simple food chain could be plant → grasshopper → bird → snake → owl, demonstrating energy transfer from one organism to the next.