Energy and matter flow differently through the environment. Energy only flows in one direction, while matter keeps cycling around and keeps getting reused. Phosphorous is found in the soil. It goes from the soil to the land plants to the consumers then decomposers and then back into the soil so that the cycle can start all over again. Phosphorous can also be found in sedimentary rock. It then travels up to the atmosphere and then comes down through weathering. It then goes into the oceans through the runoff in the river. Then it goes to the producers in the ocean then to the consumers and then decomposers in the ocean and finally, back into the sedimentary rock to restart the cycle again.