The diagram above depicts the phosphorus cycle. Plants require phosphorus for proper growth, so the nutrient is critical, especially for the desert ecosystem, where there is hardly any rain. The flow of matter, in this case, phosphorus, is different from the flow of energy in an ecosystem because matter flows in an endless cycle. The same components go through the cycle and will continue to do so. The flow of energy takes much less time than the phosphorus cycle. The route energy takes can also differ from organism to organism - some animals are preyed upon by multiple predators, so the energy can be transferred to either organism.