In three short sentences, compare and contrast the flow of matter and energy in each trophic level for land-based ecosystems and marine ecosystems. How and why are they similar, and how and why are they different?
In both land-based and marine ecosystems, energy flows from producers to primary consumers to secondary consumers. However, in land-based ecosystems, most energy is derived from photosynthesis, while in marine ecosystems, energy comes from both photosynthesis and chemosynthesis. Additionally, in land-based ecosystems, decomposition plays a major role in recycling nutrients, while in marine ecosystems, nutrient recycling mainly occurs through marine organisms' excretion.
