Given below are two statements: one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other is labelled as Reason (R). Assertion (A): The amount of phosphorus and nitrogen present in the soil of a temperate forest is not constant and changes throughout the year. Reason (R): The standing state of nutrients in a given ecosystem remains constant and does not show seasonal variations. In the light of the above statements, choose the

Step-by-step solution

The amount of nutrients, such as carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and calcium, present in the soil at any given time is referred to as the standing state. The standing state of nutrients is not a fixed value; it varies in different kinds of ecosystems and also changes on a seasonal basis. Therefore, the amount of phosphorus and nitrogen in the soil of a temperate forest will naturally fluctuate throughout the year. Thus, Assertion (A) is correct, but Reason (R) is incorrect because the standing state explicitly shows