Topic overview
What you need to know
Ecosystems link living and non-living components through nutrient cycles and food webs. Tropical rainforests are highly biodiverse but their nutrient stores are easily disrupted.
Exam tip
Explain rainforest characteristics as linked adaptations: climate affects soils, vegetation, nutrient cycling and biodiversity.
Core knowledge
Key facts for Ecosystems & Tropical Rainforests
Ecosystem
A community of living organisms interacting with each other and with the non-living environment.
Producer
An organism, usually a green plant, that makes its own food through photosynthesis.
Biodiversity
The variety of living organisms in an area.
Nutrient cycle
The movement and exchange of nutrients between biomass, litter and soil.
Deforestation
The large-scale removal of forest, often for farming, logging, mining or infrastructure.
Sustainable management
Using a resource at a rate and in a way that meets present needs without preventing future use.
Finished learning?
Mark the notes complete, then test what you can recall.