Question

Give reason.

The flow of nutrients through an ecosystem is cyclic. 

Answer 1

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/green plants which are present at the lowest trophic level manufacture the nutrients by the help of the sun's energy through the process of photosynthesis.
• These nutrients manufactured by the producers are passed on to the primary consumers/herbivores.
• The secondary consumers feed on primary consumers resulting in the passage of nutrients from the primary consumers to the secondary consumers.   
• The tertiary and the quaternary consumers also obtain nutrients from feeding one or all of the lower trophic levels. 

Finally, these nutrients are transferred back to the soil from the higher trophic levels through decomposition. The process of decomposition is carried out by organisms such as bacteria and fungi.