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Characteristics of tropical rainforests
I can describe key abiotic and biotic characteristics of the tropical rainforest.
Lesson 1 of 16
New
New
- Year 10
- AQA
Characteristics of tropical rainforests
I can describe key abiotic and biotic characteristics of the tropical rainforest.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Tropical rainforests are distinctive global biomes (large-scale ecosystems).
- Tropical rainforests have distinctive abiotic characteristics that result from the equatorial climate.
- Tropical rainforests have distinctive biotic characteristics, including the structure of vegetation into layers.
Keywords
Biome - a large-scale ecosystem with specific climate, plants and animals
Climate - the average weather conditions in a region over a long period of time
Biotic - living components of the environment, such as plants, animals and microorganisms
Abiotic - non-living components, such as temperature, rainfall, humidity, soil quality and sunlight
Common misconception
It is always raining in the tropical rainforest.
Although it will often rain every day in a tropical rainforest, the rain is often short and intense rather than continual. Some rainforests have drier and wetter seasons also.
This is a good lesson for recapping and assessing pupils' skills with interpreting climate graphs.
Teacher tip
Equipment
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Tropical rainforests are located between the Tropics of Cancer and .
Tropical rainforests are located between the Tropics of Cancer and .
Q2.What is the typical climate of a tropical rainforest?
What is the typical climate of a tropical rainforest?
hot and dry
cold and wet
cold and dry
Q3.How much of Earth's land surface is covered by tropical rainforest?
How much of Earth's land surface is covered by tropical rainforest?
0.5%
20%
Q4.Match the terms and their definitions.
Match the terms and their definitions.
Q5.The of a region refers to the long-term weather patterns and average weather conditions in that area.
The of a region refers to the long-term weather patterns and average weather conditions in that area.
Q6.Rainforests receive more than __________ of rain annually, with some areas getting up to 4000 mm.
Rainforests receive more than __________ of rain annually, with some areas getting up to 4000 mm.
100 mm
6000 mm
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Which of the following best defines a biome?
Which of the following best defines a biome?
A specific habitat where an organism lives.
A small ecosystem within a city.
A type of plant found in a forest.
Q2. factors are the living components of an ecosystem, such as plants, animals and microorganisms.
factors are the living components of an ecosystem, such as plants, animals and microorganisms.
Q3.Which of the following is an example of an abiotic factor in an ecosystem?
Which of the following is an example of an abiotic factor in an ecosystem?
trees
birds
fish
Q4.Match the rainforest layer with its description.
Match the rainforest layer with its description.
