If nutrients weren't recycled, they would get used up, and there wouldn't be any left for future organisms. 

1. Water from lakes, rivers, oceans, and the soil, evaporates into water vapour and rises into the atmosphere.
2. Water can also evaporate from plants in a process called transpiration.
3. As the water vapour accumulates, it can condense to form clouds.
4. Later, the water will fall as rain, which we call precipitation.
5. The water will then seep into the soil, flow into rivers or lakes, and be taken up by plants.
6. The whole cycle then repeats over and over. 

Evaporation is the process by which liquid water (in rivers, lakes etc) becomes gaseous water in the atmosphere.

Liquid water ➔ gaseous water

Condensation is the process by which gaseous water in the atmosphere becomes liquid water in clouds.

Gaseous water ➔ liquid water

Precipitation is the process by which liquid water falls from clouds as rain.

Photosynthesis.

Decomposition.