The diagram provided shows the carbon and nitrogen flow through a man-made mussel bed in the ocean. What evidence would support the law of conservation of mass for this ecosystem?

A. A The amount of carbon and nitrogen removed during harvest equals the amount seeded as biomass.
B. B Carbon and nitrogen enter and leave the ecosystem only through man-made processes.
C. C The mass of scavengers, decomposers, and feces equals the mass absorbed from phytoplankton and detritus.
D. D The total amount of carbon and nitrogen entering the ecosystem equals the total amount leaving the ecosystem.

D. D The total amount of carbon and nitrogen entering the ecosystem equals the total amount leaving the ecosystem.

Explanation:

The law of conservation of mass states that mass can neither be created nor destroyed. The input mass must be equal to the output mass according to this law.

In this question, a diagram shows how carbon and nitrogen flows in and out of a man-made mussel bed ecosystem. The carbon and nitrogen enters into the ecosystem via absorption by phytoplanktons and detritus (C-93%, N-90%), seeded biomass (C-7%, N-10%), while they (Carbon and Nitrogen) leave the ecosystem via waste (C-21%, N-66%), scavengers and decomposers (C-7%, N-12%), harvest (C-14%, N-22%), and respiration (C-58%).

The law of conservation of mass is fulfilled in this ecosystem because the total amount of carbon and nitrogen that entered the ecosystem (100%) equals the amount that left (100%). This shows that no mass is lost and it supports the law that states that the reactant/input must equal product/output.