This key facts covers Key Facts to Know within The Water Cycle for GCSE Biology. Topic 6: The Water Cycle It is section 6 of 11 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 6 of 11
Practice
12 questions
Recall
12 flashcards
📋 Key Facts to Know
- Water enters the atmosphere by evaporation (from oceans/lakes) AND transpiration (from plant leaves via stomata)
- Water vapour condenses at altitude as it cools, forming clouds
- Precipitation (rain, snow) returns water from clouds to the land and oceans
- Percolation is the movement of water down through soil into groundwater
- Surface run-off carries water across the land into rivers and back to the sea
- Plants play an active role — a single tree can transpire hundreds of litres of water per day
- Water availability is an abiotic factor — it determines which organisms can survive in an ecosystem
- Deforestation reduces transpiration and can decrease local rainfall, threatening biodiversity
- The water cycle is powered primarily by solar energy (sun heats water causing evaporation)