Final answer:
Tropical forests are characterized by high net primary productivity, vertical layering of vegetation creating distinct habitats, and evergreen plants with broad leaves that replenish year-round. The Aka people inhabit various ecological zones with specialized knowledge, including the micro-zones and the associated flora, fauna, and soil types.
Step-by-step explanation:
Tropical forests, including tropical rainforests, exhibit several fundamental ecological characteristics. Firstly, they have high net primary productivity, supported by warm annual temperatures and abundant precipitation, which facilitates rapid plant growth. However, this same rainfall leads to nutrient-poor soils, as it quickly leaches away vital nutrients. Secondly, tropical forests are known for vertical layering of vegetation and distinct habitats within these layers, which provide complex habitats for a myriad of plant, animal, and other organism species. Lastly, tropical forests are described as 'evergreen' because the vegetation is characterized by plants with broad leaves that replace themselves throughout the year unlike in deciduous forests, where trees shed all their leaves seasonally.
Regarding the Aka people, they inhabit and manage various ecological zones within their territory. This includes a detailed understanding and utilization of distinct micro-zones between forest and savanna, characterized by a unique set of interrelated plants, animals, and soil types. Their environmental knowledge is specialized even to the extent of using specific plants to fertilize crops and designing intricate gardens for optimal plant growth.