Fiducia TogetherEcosystems and biomes
Global-scale ecosystems, why they are where they are, and what threatens them.
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.
What it is
A biome is a large-scale ecosystem defined by climate and vegetation: tropical rainforest, hot desert, tundra, temperate forest, savanna.
Where it applies
GCSE geography, usually with a rainforest and one other studied in depth.
How it works
Distribution follows climate, which follows global atmospheric circulation. Rainforests sit at the equator because rising air brings heavy rainfall; hot deserts at around 30 degrees because descending air is dry.
Nutrient cycling in a rainforest is rapid and mostly in the biomass, which is why cleared land is poor so quickly.
How to use it in your work
Explain distribution by atmospheric circulation, not just latitude.
For adaptations, link the feature to the condition: buttress roots to shallow soil, drip tips to heavy rainfall.
For deforestation, separate causes from impacts and cover both local and global impacts.
Where to get help
Your teacher and your board's specification. Bitesize for worked examples, and the subject song for the topic list.
Revise this with a song
These are ours. We write revision songs because a lot of people remember a tune when they cannot remember a page, and because revising out loud in the kitchen beats staring at a highlighter.
- The Geography Song The GCSE geography topics, set to music.
Where to read more
Last reviewed 2026-08-28 by Fiducia Together · Next review due 2027-08-28
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.