Final answer:
Energy flows between the geosphere and the biosphere when plants use nutrients from the soil and energy from sunlight to produce organic molecules. The energy transitions from abiotic to biotic components within ecosystems, with plants playing a pivotal role as primary producers.
Step-by-step explanation:
Plants utilize nutrients from the soil and harness energy from sunlight to produce sugars and other organic molecules through a process called photosynthesis. This energy is then used within the plant for growth and reproduction. The excess energy stored in the plant's tissues becomes available to other organisms, such as herbivores and carnivores, when they consume plant material. Hence, in this example, the energy flow is between the geosphere (soil) and the biosphere (plants and animals).
The energy that plants obtain from the soil and sunlight is initially converted into chemical energy, which is then used by the plants for their metabolic processes. The remaining energy is passed on to the consumers in the ecosystem when they feed on the plants. This demonstrates the dynamic interactions between the abiotic components (like soil and sunlight) and the biotic components (like plants and animals), facilitating the energy flow within ecosystems.