(1) The quantities of chemical elements in the gorse ecosystem were determined. The vegetation plus litter contained the following amounts of macro-elements in kg/ha: N, 874; P, 32.0; S, 67.4; Ca, 206.5; Mg, 117.8; K, 306.1; Na, 56.6; and the following quantities of micro-elements in kg/ha: Al, 45.3; Fe, 11.2; Sr, 4.3; Ti, 3.0; Mn, 2.9; Ba, 0.9; Ni, 0.45; Cr, 0.06; Mo, 0.02. (2) The average annual litter fall of 8880 kg/ha contained the following amounts of macro-elements in kg/ha: N, 157.8; P, 4.4; S, 16; Ca, 50; Mg, 21; K, 13; Na, 4; Si, 70; and the following amounts of micro-elements in kg/ha: Al, 7.5; Fe, 1.4; Mn, 0.7; Sr, 0.4; Ti, 0.3; Ba, 0.08; Cu, 0.05; Ni, 0.01; Cr, 0.007; and Mo, 0.0012. (3) The quantities of elements contained in the average annual throughfall were, in kg/ha: Cl, 145; Na, 70; K, 56; Ca, 14; Mg, 13; N, 8; and P, 0.34. (4) Accession of elements in the annual precipitation of 1519 mm were, in kg/ha: Cl, 100; Na, 60; Ca, 10.7; K, 10; Mg, 5.3; and P, 0.22. (5) By combining the various measurements, annual estimates of uptake, retention, release and input of elements in the ecosystem were made. Over 65% of the Ca, S, Mg, Na and N, and 56 and 54% of K and P respectively, estimated as taken up, were returned to the soil in the litter and recretion. Except for K and Na, a high proportion of these elements was returned in the litter. Similar estimates made for the micro-elements show that, with the exception of Ba and Mo, over 60% of the estimated annual uptake was returned in the litter. With the exception of Na, the quantities of elements added to the ecosystem were generally less than those removed from the cycle by immobilization in the plant. (6) A balance sheet of the movement of chemical elements for the ecosystem could not be made since losses due to run-off and leaching were not estimated.