Ecosystem

A community of living

animals and plants and their interactions with their non-living environment (air,

water, soil etc.)

Nutrient Cycle

The continuous recycling of mineral nutrients such as

carbon and nitrogen around an ecosystem, between the

atmosphere, soil & living organisms

Canopy

A dense, continuous upper

layer to the rainforest – most photosynthesis takes place here (known as the “engine of the rainforest”)

Under Canopy

Situated below the canopy,

saplings – ready to take advantage of a gap in the

canopy

Emergents

The tallest trees – may reach up to 50m+

Buttress

Roots

Thick roots that extend up to 10m up a tree, providing

support for tall trees growing up towards the

sunlight

Drip Tips

Leaves have small tips at the end to funnel off heavy

rainfall.

Lianas

Woody climbers that use

trees to help them reach up towards the sunlight

Convectional Rainfall

Characteristic of tropical rainforests due to equatorial location. As intense heating

occurs, warm air rises, cools & condenses forming thick

clouds

Deforestation

The cutting down of trees

Sustainable Logging

Where although logging takes place it is managed to ensure that the forest is

not damaged & that volumes of wood extracted in a particular area are low

Non-Timber Forest

Products

An alternative to timber for

earning money from the rainforest (e.g. includes

fibres, fruit, honey & seeds)

Rubber Tapping

A traditional activity using the forest in a sustainable

way – doesn’t involve cutting down the tree – rubber is extracted from

slits in the bark