Ecosystem components and functions: water, soil, atmosphere and vegetation

What this note covers

1. What an ecosystem is: four interconnected components
2. Water: the ecosystem's circulating component
3. Soil: formation, nutrients and its link to vegetation
4. Atmosphere: local climate and energy flow
5. Worked example: a temperate forest ecosystem model
6. Worked example: how clearing disrupts all four components
7. How this is examined and what separates a top response

7 sections · 12 key terms & formulas · 6 common mistakes