How do molecules move through the ecosystem this food chain is part of?

Molecules move through an ecosystem's food chain primarily through the processes of photosynthesis, consumption, and decomposition. Plants capture carbon dioxide and nutrients from the soil to create energy-rich organic compounds. Herbivores then consume these plants, transferring the energy and molecules up the food chain. Finally, when organisms die, decomposers break down their bodies, returning essential nutrients and carbon back to the soil, where they can be reused by plants, thus completing the cycle.