Explain why in an ecosystem energy is said to flow while nutrients are said to cycle?

Question

Explain why in an ecosystem energy is said to flow while nutrients are said to cycle?

Answer 1

Energy flows or transfers because it just changes from type of energy to a different type of energy, or it moves around, without ever being bound and unavailable.  For example, energy from the sun converts into heat and the heat transfers from one area to another, or energy from the wind can be converted into electricity and the electricity flows through transmission lines.

Nutrients are said to cycle because they get bound up in the organisms that use the nutrients.  Those nutrients are taken out of circulation until the organism that took in the nutrients excretes them in waste products which must break down, or until the organism itself dies and breaks down.

Answer 2

energy-read about the law of energy transfer in a ecosystem

nutrients-read about decomposers, scavengers, producers and primary/secondary consumers and u'll get everything