Flow of nutrients through an ecosystem is cyclic as the nutrients move from one trophic level to another trophic level all the way up and then back down. The cyclic flow of nutrients occur in the following manner:
Producers obtain nutrients from the soil, and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and synthesise food from them with the help of photosynthesis.
During this process, the inorganic substances are converted into organic substances.
Consumers consume the food produced by producers. The energy in the form of food is thus passed on from one trophic level to the other trophic level.
Both producers and consumers after their death undergo decomposition and after decomposition the nutrients released from them mix with the soil. In the same way, the excreta of animals undergo decomposition and release nutrients to the environments.
Thus, we see that the flow of nutrients in the ecosystem follows a cyclic path.
