The Global 200 is the list of
ecoregion
An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecological and geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and c ...
s identified by the World Wide Fund for Nature (
WWF), the global conservation organization, as priorities for conservation. According to WWF, an ecoregion is defined as a "relatively large unit of land or water containing a characteristic set of natural communities that share a large majority of their species dynamics, and environmental conditions". For example, based on their levels of
endemism
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
, Madagascar gets multiple listings, ancient
Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal is a rift lake and the deepest lake in the world. It is situated in southern Siberia, Russia between the Federal subjects of Russia, federal subjects of Irkutsk Oblast, Irkutsk Oblasts of Russia, Oblast to the northwest and the Repu ...
gets one, and the
North American Great Lakes get none.
The WWF assigns a conservation status to each ecoregion in the Global 200: critical or endangered; vulnerable; and relatively stable or intact. Over half of the ecoregions in the Global 200 are rated endangered.
Background
The WWF has identified 867
terrestrial ecoregions across the Earth's land surface, as well as
freshwater
Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. The term excludes seawater and brackish water, but it does include non-salty mi ...
and
marine ecoregions. The goal of this classification system is to ensure that the full range of
ecosystem
An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system formed by Organism, organisms in interaction with their Biophysical environment, environment. The Biotic material, biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and en ...
s will be represented in regional conservation and development strategies. Of these ecoregions, the WWF selected the Global 200 as the ecoregions most crucial to the
conservation of global
biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...
. The Global 200 list actually contains 238 ecoregions, made up of 142 terrestrial, 53 freshwater, and 43 marine ecoregions.
Conservationists interested in preserving biodiversity have generally focused on the preservation of
tropical moist broadleaf forests (commonly known as tropical rainforests) because it is estimated that they harbor one half of Earth's species. On the other hand, the WWF determined that a more comprehensive strategy for conserving global biodiversity should also consider the other half of species, as well as the
ecosystem
An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system formed by Organism, organisms in interaction with their Biophysical environment, environment. The Biotic material, biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and en ...
s that support them.
Several habitats, such as
Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome
A biome () is a distinct geographical region with specific climate, vegetation, and animal life. It consists of a biological community that has formed in response to its physical environment and regional climate. In 1935, Tansley added the ...
, were determined to be more threatened than tropical rain forests, and therefore require concerted conservation action. WWF maintains that "although conservation action typically takes place at the country level, patterns of biodiversity and ecological processes (e.g., migration) do not conform to political boundaries", which is why ecoregion-based conservation strategies are deemed essential.
Classification
Historically, zoologists and botanists have developed various classification systems that take into account the world's plant and animal communities. Two of the worldwide classification systems most commonly used today were summarized by
Miklos Udvardy in 1975.
The Earth's land surface can be divided into eight
biogeographic realm
A biogeographic realm is the broadest biogeography, biogeographic division of Earth's land surface, based on distributional patterns of terrestrial animal, terrestrial organisms. They are subdivided into bioregions, which are further subdivid ...
s (formerly called kingdoms, and which the BBC calls ecozones) that represent the major terrestrial communities of animals and plants, and are a synthesis of previous systems of
floristic provinces and faunal regions. The biome system classifies the world into ecosystem types (i.e. forests, grasslands, etc.) based on climate and vegetation. Each biogeographical realm contains multiple biomes, and biomes occur across several biogeographical realms. A system of
biogeographical provinces was developed to identify specific geographic areas in each biogeographical realm that were of a consistent biome type, and shared distinct plant and animal communities. The WWF system represents a further refinement of the system of biomes (which the WWF calls "major habitat types"), biogeographical realms, and biogeographical provinces (the WWF scheme divides most biogeographical provinces into multiple smaller ecoregions).
Selection process
Based on a comprehensive list of
ecoregion
An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecological and geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and c ...
s, The Global 200 includes all major habitat types (biomes), all
ecosystem
An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system formed by Organism, organisms in interaction with their Biophysical environment, environment. The Biotic material, biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and en ...
types, and
species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
from every major habitat type. It focuses on each major habitat type of every continent (such as
tropical forest
Tropical forests are forested ecoregions with tropical climates – that is, land areas approximately bounded by the Tropic of Cancer, tropics of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, Capricorn, but possibly affected by other factors such as prevailing ...
s or
coral reef
A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in group ...
s). It uses
ecoregion
An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecological and geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and c ...
s as the unit of scale for comparison. WWF say ecoregions could be considered as conservation units at regional scale because they meet similar biological communities.
Some ecoregions were selected over other ecoregions of the same major habitat type (biome) or realm. Selection of the Global 200 relied on extensive studies of 19 terrestrial, freshwater, and marine major habitat types. Selection of the ecoregions was based on analyses of species richness, species
endemism
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
, unique higher
taxa
In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; : taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular name and ...
, unusual ecological or evolutionary phenomena, and global rarity of major habitat type.
Global 200 ecoregion list is most helpful to conservation efforts at a regional scale: local
deforestation
Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. Ab ...
, destruction of swamp habitats, degradation of soils, etc. However, certain phenomena, such as bird or whale
migration
Migration, migratory, or migrate may refer to: Human migration
* Human migration, physical movement by humans from one region to another
** International migration, when peoples cross state boundaries and stay in the host state for some minimum le ...
, depend on more complex parameters not used to define the current
database
In computing, a database is an organized collection of data or a type of data store based on the use of a database management system (DBMS), the software that interacts with end users, applications, and the database itself to capture and a ...
, such as atmospheric currents and dynamic
pelagic
The pelagic zone consists of the water column of the open ocean and can be further divided into regions by depth. The word ''pelagic'' is derived . The pelagic zone can be thought of as an imaginary cylinder or water column between the sur ...
ecosystems. These would require gathering more information, and co-ordination of efforts between multiple ecoregions. However, the Global 200 ecoregions can help these efforts by identifying habitat sites and resting sites for migratory animals. It may also help identify the origin of
invasive species
An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...
, and offer insights for slowing down or stopping their intrusion.
Global 200: Terrestrial
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF), also known as tropical moist forest, is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
Description
TSMF is generally found in la ...
Afrotropical
The Afrotropical realm is one of the Earth's eight biogeographic realms. It includes Sub-Saharan Africa, the southern Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, and the islands of the western Indian Ocean. It was formerly known as the Ethiopi ...
*
Guinean moist forests
**AT0111
Eastern Guinean forests
**AT0114
Guinean montane forests
**AT0130
Western Guinean lowland forests
*
Congolian coastal forests
**AT0102
Atlantic Equatorial coastal forests
**AT0107
Cross–Sanaga–Bioko coastal forests
**AT0127
São Tomé, Príncipe, and Annobón forests
*
Cameroon Highlands forests
**AT0103
Cameroonian Highlands forests
**AT0121
Mount Cameroon and Bioko montane forests
*
Northeastern Congolian lowland forests
**AT0124
Northeastern Congolian lowland forests
*Central Congo Basin Moist Forests
**AT0104
Central Congolian lowland forests
**AT0110
Eastern Congolian swamp forests
*Western Congo Basin Moist Forests
**AT0126
Northwestern Congolian lowland forests
**AT0129
Western Congolian swamp forests
*Albertine Rift montane forests
**AT0101
Albertine Rift montane forests
*
East African Coastal Forests
**AT0125
Northern Zanzibar–Inhambane coastal forest mosaic
**AT0128
Southern Zanzibar–Inhambane coastal forest mosaic
*Eastern Arc Montane Forests (
Kenya
Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
,
Tanzania
Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
)
**AT0109
Eastern Arc forests
*Madagascar lowlands and subhumid forests
**AT0117
Madagascar lowland forests
**AT0118
Madagascar subhumid forests
*
Seychelles
Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (; Seychellois Creole: ), is an island country and archipelagic state consisting of 155 islands (as per the Constitution) in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, ...
and
Mascarene Islands moist forests
**AT0113
Granitic Seychelles forests
**AT0120
Mascarene forests
Australasia
Australasia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising Australia, New Zealand (overlapping with Polynesia), and sometimes including New Guinea and surrounding islands (overlapping with Melanesia). The term is used in a number of different context ...
*
Sulawesi
Sulawesi ( ), also known as Celebes ( ), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the List of islands by area, world's 11th-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Min ...
moist forests
**AA0123
Sulawesi lowland rain forests
**AA0124
Sulawesi montane rain forests
*
Moluccas moist forests (
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
)
**AA0106
Halmahera rain forests
**AA0118
Seram rain forests
*Southern New Guinea lowland forests
**AA0122
Southern New Guinea lowland rain forests
**AA0128
Vogelkop-Aru lowland rain forests
*New Guinea montane forests
**AA0105
Central Range montane rain forests
**AA0107
Huon Peninsula montane rain forests
**AA0120
Southeastern Papuan rain forests
**AA0127
Vogelkop montane rain forests
*
Solomons–Vanuatu–Bismarck moist forests
**AA0101
Admiralty Islands lowland rain forests
**AA0111
New Britain–New Ireland lowland rain forests
**AA0112
New Britain–New Ireland montane rain forests
**AA0119
Solomon Islands rain forests
**AA0126
Vanuatu rain forests
*Queensland tropical rain forests
**AA0117
Queensland tropical rain forests
*New Caledonia moist forests
**AA0113
New Caledonia rain forests
*
Lord Howe–
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island ( , ; ) is an States and territories of Australia, external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head, New South Wales, Evans Head and a ...
s forests
**AA0109
Lord Howe Island subtropical forests
**AA0114
Norfolk Island subtropical forests
Indomalaya
The Indomalayan realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms. It extends across most of South and Southeast Asia and into the southern parts of East Asia.
Also called the Oriental realm by biogeographers, Indomalaya spreads all over the Ind ...
*South Western Ghats montane rain forests and moist deciduous forests
**IM0150
South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests
**IM0151
South Western Ghats montane rain forests
*
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
moist forests
**IM0154
Sri Lanka lowland rain forests
**IM0155
Sri Lanka montane rain forests
*Northern
Indochina
Mainland Southeast Asia (historically known as Indochina and the Indochinese Peninsula) is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to th ...
Subtropical moist forests
**IM0137
Northern Indochina subtropical forests
*Southeast China-Hainan moist forests
**IM0149
South China–Vietnam subtropical evergreen forests
**IM0169
Hainan Island monsoon rain forests
*
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
montane forests
**IM0172
Taiwan subtropical evergreen forests
*
Annamite Range moist forests (
Cambodia
Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...
,
Laos
Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...
,
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
)
**IM0136
Northern Annamites rain forests
The Northern Annamites rain forests ecoregion (WWF ID: IM0136) covers the rugged and relatively unexplored northern Annamite Mountains of central Laos and Vietnam. There are high numbers of endemic plant species, and the relative remoteness and ...
**IM0152
Southern Annamites montane rain forests
The Southern Annamites montane rain forests ecoregion (WWF ID: IM0152) covers a region of high biodiversity in the central and southern mountains of the Annamite Range in Vietnam. Terrain ranges from wet lowland forest to evergreen hardwood an ...
*Sumatran Islands lowland and montane forests
**IM0157
Sumatran freshwater swamp forests
**IM0158
Sumatran lowland rain forests
**IM0159
Sumatran montane rain forests
**IM0160
Sumatran peat swamp forests
*
Philippines moist forests
**IM0114
Greater Negros–Panay rain forests
**IM0122
Luzon montane rain forests
**IM0123
Luzon rain forests
**IM0128
Mindanao montane rain forests
**IM0129
Mindanao–Eastern Visayas rain forests
**IM0130
Mindoro rain forests
**IM0156
Sulu Archipelago rain forests
*
Palawan
Palawan (, ), officially the Province of Palawan (; ), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of . The capital and largest c ...
moist forests
**IM0143
Palawan rain forests
*
Kayah-Karen/
Tenasserim moist forests
**IM0119
Kayah–Karen montane rain forests
**IM0163
Tenasserim–South Thailand semi-evergreen rain forests
*Peninsular Malaysian lowland and montane forests
**IM0144
Peninsular Malaysian montane rain forests
**IM0145
Peninsular Malaysian peat swamp forests
**IM0146
Peninsular Malaysian rain forests
*
Borneo
Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...
lowland and montane forests
**IM0102
Borneo lowland rain forests
**IM0103
Borneo montane rain forests
**IM0104
Borneo peat swamp forests
*
Nansei Shoto Archipelago forests (Japan)
**IM0170
Nansei Islands subtropical evergreen forests
*Eastern
Deccan Plateau
The Deccan is a plateau extending over an area of and occupies the majority of the Indian peninsula. It stretches from the Satpura Range, Satpura and Vindhya Ranges in the north to the northern fringes of Tamil Nadu in the south. It is bound ...
moist forests (India)
**IM0111
Eastern highlands moist deciduous forests
*
Naga-Manupuri-Chin hills moist forests (
Bangladesh
Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...
, India,
Myanmar
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...
)
**IM0109
Chin Hills–Arakan Yoma montane forests
**IM0120
Lower Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests
**IM0131
Mizoram–Manipur–Kachin rain forests
*Cardamom Mountains moist forests
**IM0106
Cardamom Mountains rain forests
*Western Java montane forests
**IM0167
Western Java montane rain forests
*Maldives–Lakshadweep–Chagos Archipelago tropical moist forests
**IM0125
Maldives–Lakshadweep–Chagos Archipelago tropical moist forests
Neotropic
*
Greater Antillean moist forests
**NT0120
Cuban moist forests
**NT0127
Hispaniolan moist forests
**NT0131
Jamaican moist forests
**NT0155
Puerto Rican moist forests
*Talamancan-Isthmian Pacific forests
**NT0167
Talamancan montane forests
*Choco–Darien moist forests
**NT0115
Chocó–Darién moist forests
*Northern Andean montane forests
**NT0145
Northwestern Andean montane forests
*Coastal
Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
montane forests
**NT0147
Orinoco Delta swamp forests
**NT0169
Tepuis
**NT0171
Trinidad and Tobago moist forests
*Guianan moist forests
**NT0125
Guianan moist forests
*Napo moist forests
**NT0142
Napo moist forests
*Rio Negro - Juruá moist forests
**NT0132
Japurá–Solimões–Negro moist forests
**NT0133
Juruá–Purus moist forests
**NT0158
Rio Negro campinarana
*
Guayana Highlands moist forests
**NT0124
Guayanan Highlands moist forests
*Central Andean
yungas
**NT0105
Bolivian Yungas
**NT0153
Peruvian Yungas
The Peruvian Yungas comprise a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in Peru.
History
During the Inca Empire, the term ''yunga'' referred to both the western and eastern slopes of the Andes and their inhabitants. In the Span ...
*Southwestern Amazonian moist forests
**NT0166
Southwest Amazon moist forests
*
Atlantic forests
**NT0103
Bahia coastal forests
**NT0151
Pernambuco coastal forests
**NT0160
Serra do Mar coastal forests
Oceania
Oceania ( , ) is a region, geographical region including Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Outside of the English-speaking world, Oceania is generally considered a continent, while Mainland Australia is regarded as its co ...
*South Pacific Islands forests (
American Samoa
American Samoa is an Territories of the United States, unincorporated and unorganized territory of the United States located in the Polynesia region of the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. Centered on , it is southeast of the island count ...
- United States,
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands whose total land area is approximately . The Cook Islands' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers of ocean. Avarua is its ...
- New Zealand,
Fiji
Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...
,
French Polynesia
French Polynesia ( ; ; ) is an overseas collectivity of France and its sole #Governance, overseas country. It comprises 121 geographically dispersed islands and atolls stretching over more than in the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. The t ...
- France,
Niue - New Zealand,
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabited ...
,
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. accordin ...
,
Wallis and Futuna Islands - France)
**OC0102
Central Polynesian tropical moist forests
**OC0103
Cook Islands tropical moist forests
**OC0104
Eastern Micronesia tropical moist forests
**OC0105
Fiji tropical moist forests
**OC0112
Samoan tropical moist forests
**OC0114
Tongan tropical moist forests
**OC0117
Western Polynesian tropical moist forests
*
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
moist forests
**OC0106
Hawaiian tropical rainforests
Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests
The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest is a habitat (ecology), habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature and is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. Though these forests occur in climates that are warm year-roun ...
Afrotropic
*
Madagascar
Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
dry deciduous forests
**AT0202
Madagascar dry deciduous forests
Australasia
*
Nusa Tenggara
The Lesser Sunda Islands (, , ), now known as Nusa Tenggara Islands (, or "Southeast Islands"), are an archipelago in the Indonesian archipelago. Most of the Lesser Sunda Islands are located within the Wallacea region, except for the Bali pr ...
Dry Forests (
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
)
**AA0201
Lesser Sundas deciduous forests
**AA0203
Sumba deciduous forests
**AA0204
Timor and Wetar deciduous forests
*
New Caledonia
New Caledonia ( ; ) is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, southwest of Vanuatu and east of Australia. Located from Metropolitan France, it forms a Overseas France#Sui generis collectivity, ''sui generis'' collectivity of t ...
dry forests
**AA0202
New Caledonia dry forests
Indomalaya
*
Indochina
Mainland Southeast Asia (historically known as Indochina and the Indochinese Peninsula) is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to th ...
dry forests
**IM0202
Central Indochina dry forests
*Chhota - Nagpur dry forests
**IM0203
Chota Nagpur dry deciduous forests
Neotropic
*
Mexican dry forests
**NT0204
Bajio dry forests
**NT0205
Balsas dry forests
**NT0227
Sierra de la Laguna dry forests
*Tumbesian - Andean valleys dry forests (
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
,
Ecuador
Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...
,
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
)
**NT0201
Apure–Villavicencio dry forests
**NT0214
Ecuadorian dry forests
**NT0221
Magdalena Valley dry forests
**NT0223
Marañón dry forests
**NT0232
Tumbes–Piura dry forests
*Chiquitano dry forests
**NT0212
Chiquitano dry forests
*Atlantic dry forests
**NT0202
Atlantic dry forests
Oceania
*
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
dry forests
**OC0202
Hawaiian tropical dry forests
Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests
Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests are a tropical forest habitat (ecology), habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. These forests are found predominantly in North America, North and Central America and experience low level ...
Nearctic
*Sierra Madre Oriental and Occidental pine-oak forests
**NA0302
Sierra Madre Occidental pine–oak forests
**NA0303
Sierra Madre Oriental pine–oak forests
Neotropic
*Greater Antillean pine forests
**NT0304
Cuban pine forests
**NT0305
Hispaniolan pine forests
*
Mesoamerican pine–oak forests (
El Salvador
El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...
,
Guatemala
Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...
,
Honduras
Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...
,
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
,
Nicaragua
Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...
)
**NT0308
Sierra Madre de Oaxaca pine–oak forests
**NT0309
Sierra Madre del Sur pine–oak forests
The Sierra Madre del Sur pine–oak forests is a tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, subtropical coniferous forest ecoregion in the Sierra Madre del Sur mountain range of southern Mexico.
Setting
The Sierra Madre del Sur pine–oak fore ...
**NT0310
Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt pine–oak forests
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
Australasia
*Eastern Australia temperate forests
**AA0402
Eastern Australian temperate forests
*Tasmanian temperate rain forests
**AA0413
Tasmanian temperate rain forests
*New Zealand temperate forests
**AA0403
Fiordland temperate forests
**AA0404
Nelson Coast temperate forests
**AA0405
Northland temperate forests
**AA0406
Northland temperate kauri forests
**AA0407
Rakiura Island temperate forests
**AA0410
Southland temperate forests
**AA0414
Westland temperate forests
Indomalaya
*Eastern Himalayan broadleaf and conifer forests
**IM0401
Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests
*Western Himalayan temperate forests
**IM0403
Western Himalayan broadleaf forests
Nearctic
*Appalachian and mixed mesophytic forests
**NA0402
Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests
Neotropic
*
Valdivian temperate rain forests
The Valdivian temperate forests (NT0404) is an terrestrial ecoregion, ecoregion on the west coast of southern South America, in Chile and Argentina. It is part of the Neotropical realm. The forests are named after the city of Valdivia, Chile, Val ...
-
Juan Fernández Islands
The Juan Fernández Islands () are a sparsely inhabited series of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, reliant on tourism and fishing. Situated off the coast of Chile, they are composed of three main volcanic islands: Robinson Crusoe Island, R ...
**NT0401
Juan Fernández Islands temperate forests
**NT0404
Valdivian temperate forests
Palearctic
The Palearctic or Palaearctic is a biogeographic realm of the Earth, the largest of eight. Confined almost entirely to the Eastern Hemisphere, it stretches across Europe and Asia, north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa.
Th ...
*Southwest China temperate forests
**PA0417
Daba Mountains evergreen forests
**PA0434
Qin Ling Mountains deciduous forests
**PA0437
Sichuan Basin evergreen broadleaf forests
*Russian Far East temperate forests
**PA0426
Manchurian mixed forests
**PA0443
Ussuri broadleaf and mixed forests
Temperate coniferous forests
Temperate coniferous forest is a terrestrial ecoregion, terrestrial biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Temperate coniferous forests are found predominantly in areas with warm summers and cool winters, and vary in their kinds of plant ...
Nearctic
*
Pacific temperate rain forests
**NA0510
Central Pacific coastal forests
**NA0512
Eastern Cascades forests
**NA0520
Northern Pacific coastal forests
*Klamath - Siskiyou forests
**NA0516
Klamath-Siskiyou forests
*Sierra Nevada forests
**NA0527
Sierra Nevada forests
*Southeastern coniferous and broadleaf forests
**NA0529
Southeastern conifer forests
Palearctic
*
European - Mediterranean montane mixed forests
**PA0501
Alps conifer and mixed forests
**PA0513
Mediterranean conifer and mixed forests
*
Caucasus-Anatolian-Hyrcanian temperate forest (
Armenia
Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...
,
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...
,
Bulgaria
Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
,
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
,
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
,
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
,
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ash ...
)
**PA0407
Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests
**PA0408
Caucasus mixed forests
**PA0507
Elburz Range forest steppe
**PA0515
Northern Anatolian conifer and deciduous forests
*Altai - Sayan montane forests
**PA0502
Altai montane forest and forest steppe
The Altai montane forest and forest steppe ecoregion (WWF ID: PA0502) covers patches of the subalpine forest belt on the Altai Mountains, crossing the border region where Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China meet. The region has high biodiversi ...
**PA0519
Sayan montane conifer forests
*Hengduan Shan coniferous forests
**PA0509
Hengduan Mountains subalpine conifer forests
Boreal forests/taiga
Nearctic
*Muskwa / Slave Lake boreal forests
**NA0610
Muskwa–Slave Lake forests
*Canadian Boreal Forests
**NA0606
Eastern Canadian Shield taiga
Palearctic
*Ural Mountains taiga
**PA0610
Urals montane tundra and taiga
*East Siberian taiga
**PA0601
East Siberian taiga
*
Kamchatka
The Kamchatka Peninsula (, ) is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of about . The Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Okhotsk make up the peninsula's eastern and western coastlines, respectively.
Immediately offshore along the Pacific ...
taiga and grasslands
**PA0603
Kamchatka–Kurile meadows and sparse forests
**PA0604
Kamchatka–Kurile taiga
Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Afrotropic
*
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa (HoA), also known as the Somali Peninsula, is a large peninsula and geopolitical region in East Africa.Robert Stock, ''Africa South of the Sahara, Second Edition: A Geographical Interpretation'', (The Guilford Press; 2004), ...
acacia savannas
**AT0715
Somali Acacia–Commiphora bushlands and thickets
*East African acacia savannas
**AT0711
Northern Acacia–Commiphora bushlands and thickets
*Central and Eastern miombo woodlands
**AT0704
Central Zambezian miombo woodlands
**AT0706
Eastern miombo woodlands
*
Sudanian savannas
**AT0705
East Sudanian savanna
**AT0722
West Sudanian savanna
Australasia
*Northern Australia and Trans-Fly savannas
**AA0701
Arnhem Land tropical savanna
**AA0702
Brigalow tropical savanna
**AA0703
Cape York tropical savanna
**AA0704
Carpentaria tropical savanna
**AA0705
Einasleigh upland savanna
**AA0706
Kimberley tropical savanna
**AA0708
Trans-Fly savanna and grasslands
Indomalaya
*Terai-Duar savannas and grasslands
**IM0701
Terai–Duar savanna and grasslands
Neotropic
*Llanos savannas
**NT0709
Llanos
*Cerrado woodlands and savannas
**NT0704
Cerrado
The Cerrado () is a vast ecoregion of Tropics, tropical savanna in central Brazil, being present in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Maranhão, Piauí, Bahia, Minas Gerais, São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Paraná ...
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands are terrestrial biomes defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. The predominant vegetation in these biomes consists of grass and/or shrubs. The climate is temperate and ranges from Semi-arid clima ...
Nearctic
*Northern
prairie
Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...
**NA0810
Northern mixed grasslands
**NA0811
Northern short grasslands
**NA0812
Northern tall grasslands
Neotropic
*Patagonian steppe
**NT0805
Patagonian steppe
Palearctic
*Daurian steppe
**PA0804
Daurian forest steppe
Flooded grasslands and savannas
Afrotropic
*
Sudd - Sahelian flooded grasslands and savannas (
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...
,
Chad
Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North Africa, North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to Chad–Libya border, the north, Sudan to Chad–Sudan border, the east, the Central Afric ...
,
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...
,
Mali
Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...
,
Niger
Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state Geography of Niger#Political geography, bordered by Libya to the Libya–Niger border, north-east, Chad to the Chad–Niger border, east ...
,
Nigeria
Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
,
Sudan
Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...
,
Uganda
Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...
)
**AT0903
Inner Niger Delta flooded savanna
**AT0904
Lake Chad flooded savanna
**AT0905
Saharan flooded grasslands
*Zambezian flooded savannas
**AT0907
Zambezian flooded grasslands
Indomalaya
*
Rann of Kutch flooded grasslands
**IM0901
Rann of Kutch seasonal salt marsh
Neotropic
*
Everglades flooded grasslands
**NT0904
Everglades
*
Pantanal
The Pantanal () is a natural region encompassing the world's largest tropical wetland area, and the world's largest Flooded grasslands and savannas, flooded grasslands. It is located mostly within the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, but i ...
flooded savannas
**NT0907
Pantanal
The Pantanal () is a natural region encompassing the world's largest tropical wetland area, and the world's largest Flooded grasslands and savannas, flooded grasslands. It is located mostly within the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, but i ...
Montane grasslands and shrublands
Afrotropic
*Ethiopian Highlands
**AT1007
Ethiopian montane grasslands and woodlands
**AT1008
Ethiopian montane moorlands
*Southern Rift montane woodlands
**AT1015
Southern Rift montane forest–grassland mosaic
*East African moorlands
**AT1005
East African montane moorlands
*
Drakensberg
The Drakensberg (Zulu language, Zulu: uKhahlamba, Sotho language, Sotho: Maloti, Afrikaans: Drakensberge) is the eastern portion of the Great Escarpment, Southern Africa, Great Escarpment, which encloses the central South Africa#Geography, Sout ...
montane shrublands and woodlands
**AT1003
Drakensberg alti-montane grasslands and woodlands
**AT1004
Drakensberg montane grasslands, woodlands and forests
Australasian
* New Guinea Central Range subalpine grasslands
** AA 1002
Central Range subalpine grasslands
Indomalaya
*Kinabalu montane shrublands
**IM1001
Kinabalu montane alpine meadows
Neotropic
*Northern Andean
páramo
Páramo () may refer to a variety of alpine tundra ecosystems located in the Andes Mountain Range, South America. Some ecologists describe the páramo broadly as "all high, tropical, montane vegetation above the continuous timberline". A narrower ...
**NT1006
Northern Andean páramo
The Northern Andean páramo (NT1006) is an ecoregion containing páramo vegetation above the treeline in the Andes of Colombia and Ecuador.
In the past, when the climate was cooler, the treeline and the páramo units were lower and the units were c ...
*Central Andean dry
puna
**NT1001
Central Andean dry puna
Palearctic
*Tibetan Plateau steppe
**PA1020
Tibetan Plateau alpine shrublands and meadows
*Middle Asian montane steppe and woodlands (
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
, China,
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...
,
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Kyrgyzstan, largest city. Kyrgyz ...
,
Tajikistan
Tajikistan, officially the Republic of Tajikistan, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Dushanbe is the capital city, capital and most populous city. Tajikistan borders Afghanistan to the Afghanistan–Tajikistan border, south, Uzbekistan to ...
,
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ash ...
,
Uzbekistan
, image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg
, image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg
, symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbekistan, Emblem
, national_anthem = "State Anthem of Uzbekistan, State Anthem of the Republ ...
)
**PA1011
North Tibetan Plateau–Kunlun Mountains alpine desert
**PA1015
Qilian Mountains subalpine meadows
**PA1013
Ordos Plateau steppe
*Eastern Himalayan alpine meadows
**PA1003
Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows
Tundra
In physical geography, a tundra () is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. There are three regions and associated types of tundra: #Arctic, Arctic, Alpine tundra, Alpine, and #Antarctic ...
Nearctic
*Alaskan North Slope coastal tundra (Canada, United States)
**NA1103
Arctic coastal tundra
**NA1104
Arctic foothills tundra
**NA1108
Brooks–British Range tundra
*Canadian low arctic tundra (Canada)
**NA1114
Low Arctic tundra
**NA1116
Ogilvie–MacKenzie alpine tundra
**NA1118
Torngat Mountain tundra
Palearctic
The Palearctic or Palaearctic is a biogeographic realm of the Earth, the largest of eight. Confined almost entirely to the Eastern Hemisphere, it stretches across Europe and Asia, north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa.
Th ...
*Fenno - Scandia alpine tundra and taiga (Finland, Norway, Russia, Sweden)
**PA1106
Kola Peninsula tundra
**PA1110
Scandinavian montane birch forest and grasslands
*Taimyr and Siberian coastal tundra
**PA1107
Northeast Siberian coastal tundra
**PA1111
Taimyr–Central Siberian tundra
*Chukote coastal tundra (Russia)
**PA1104
Chukchi Peninsula tundra
Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub
Afrotropic
*
Fynbos
Fynbos (; , ) is a small belt of natural shrubland or heathland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. The area is predominantly coastal and mountainous, with a Mediterranean climate. The fynbos ...
**AT1202
Lowland fynbos and renosterveld
**AT1203
Montane fynbos and renosterveld
Australasia
*
Southwestern Australia forests and scrub
**AA1201
Coolgardie woodlands
**AA1202
Esperance mallee
**AA1209
Southwest Australia savanna
**AA1210
Southwest Australia woodlands
*Southern Australia mallee and woodlands
**AA1203
Eyre and York mallee
**AA1206
Mount Lofty woodlands
**AA1208
Naracoorte woodlands
Nearctic
*
California chaparral and woodlands
**NA1201
California coastal sage and chaparral
**NA1202
California interior chaparral and woodlands
**NA1203
California montane chaparral and woodlands
Neotropic
*Chilean Matorral
**NT1201
Chilean Matorral
Palearctic
*
Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub
**PA1214
Mediterranean woodlands and forests
Deserts and xeric shrublands
Deserts and xeric shrublands are a biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Deserts and xeric (Ancient Greek 'dry') shrublands form the largest terrestrial biome, covering 19% of Earth's land surface area. Ecoregions in this habitat ...
Afrotropic
*Namib - Karoo - Kaokoveld deserts (
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...
,
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country on the west coast of Southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the no ...
,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
)
**AT1310
Kaokoveld desert
**AT1314
Nama Karoo
Nama Karoo is a xeric shrubland ecoregion located on the central plateau of South Africa and Namibia. It occupies most of the interior of the western half of South Africa and extends into the southern interior of Namibia.
Climate
The climate o ...
**AT1315
Namib desert
**AT1322
Succulent Karoo
The Succulent Karoo is an terrestrial ecoregion, ecoregion defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature to include regions of deserts and xeric shrublands, desert in South Africa and Namibia, and a biodiversity hotspot. The geographic area chosen ...
*Madagascar spiny thicket
**AT1311
Madagascar spiny thickets
*
Socotra Island desert (
Yemen
Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...
)
**AT1318
Socotra Island xeric shrublands
*Arabian Highland woodlands and shrublands (
Oman
Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Oman’s coastline ...
,
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...
,
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...
,
Yemen
Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...
)
**AT1320
Southwestern Arabian foothills savanna
**AT1321
Southwestern Arabian montane woodlands
Australasia
*Carnavon xeric scrub
**AA1301
Carnarvon xeric shrublands
*Great Sandy - Tanami deserts
**AA1304
Great Sandy-Tanami desert
Nearctic
*Sonoran - Baja deserts
**NA1301
Baja California desert
**NA1310
Sonoran Desert
*Chihuahuan - Tehuacan deserts
**NA1303
Chihuahuan Desert
Neotropic
*
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands () are an archipelago of volcanic islands in the Eastern Pacific, located around the equator, west of the mainland of South America. They form the Galápagos Province of the Republic of Ecuador, with a population of sli ...
scrub
**NT1307
Galápagos Islands xeric scrub
*Atacama - Sechura deserts
**NT1303
Atacama Desert
The Atacama Desert () is a desert plateau located on the Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast of South America, in the north of Chile. Stretching over a strip of land west of the Andes Mountains, it covers an area of , which increases to if the barre ...
**NT1315
Sechura Desert
*Brazilian Atlantic Dry Forests
**NT1304
Caatinga
Palearctic
*Central Asian deserts (
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...
,
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Kyrgyzstan, largest city. Kyrgyz ...
,
Uzbekistan
, image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg
, image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg
, symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbekistan, Emblem
, national_anthem = "State Anthem of Uzbekistan, State Anthem of the Republ ...
,
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ash ...
)
**PA1310
Central Asian northern desert
**PA1312
Central Asian southern desert
Mangroves
Afrotropic
*East African mangroves
**AT1402
East African mangroves
*Gulf of Guinea mangroves
**AT1403
Guinean mangroves
*Madagascar mangroves
**AT1404
Madagascar mangroves
Australasia
*New Guinea mangroves
**AA1401
New Guinea mangroves
Indomalaya
*Greater Sundas mangroves
**IM1405
Sunda Shelf mangroves
*Sundarbans mangroves
**IM1406
Sundarbans mangroves
Nearctic
*Northwest Mexican coast mangroves
**NA1401
Northwest Mexican coast mangroves
Neotropic
*Guianan - Amazon mangroves
**NT1401
Alvarado mangroves
**NT1402
Amapá mangroves
**NT1406
Belizean reef mangroves
**NT1411
Guianan mangroves
**NT1427
Pará mangroves
*
Panama Bight mangroves
**NT1414
Gulf of Panama mangroves
**NT1409
Esmeraldas–Pacific Colombia mangroves
**NT1418
Manabí mangroves
**NT1413
Gulf of Guayaquil–Tumbes mangroves
Global 200: Freshwater ecoregions
Large rivers
Afrotropic
*
Congo River
The Congo River, formerly also known as the Zaire River, is the second-longest river in Africa, shorter only than the Nile, as well as the third-largest river in the world list of rivers by discharge, by discharge volume, following the Amazon Ri ...
and flooded forests (
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...
,
Democratic Republic of Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...
,
Republic of Congo)
Indomalaya
*
Mekong River
The Mekong or Mekong River ( , ) is a transboundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's List of rivers by length, twelfth-longest river and List of longest rivers of Asia, the third-longest in Asia with an estimated l ...
(Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam)
Nearctic
*
Colorado River
The Colorado River () is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The river, the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), 5th longest in the United St ...
(Mexico, United States)
*Lower
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...
(United States)
Neotropic
*
Amazon River and flooded forests (Brazil, Colombia, Peru)
*
Orinoco River
The Orinoco () is one of the longest rivers in South America at . Its drainage basin, sometimes known as the Orinoquia, covers approximately 1 million km2, with 65% of it in Venezuela and 35% in Colombia. It is the List of rivers by discharge, f ...
and flooded forests (Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela)
Palearctic
*
Yangtze River and lakes (China)
Large river headwaters
Afrotropic
*
Congo basin piedmont rivers and streams (Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Republic of Congo, Sudan)
Nearctic
*
Mississippi
Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
piedmont
Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...
rivers and streams (United States)
Neotropic
*Upper
Amazon
Amazon most often refers to:
* Amazon River, in South America
* Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin
* Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company
* Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...
rivers and streams (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana (France), Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela)
*Upper
Paraná rivers and streams (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay)
*Brazilian Shield
Amazonian rivers and streams (Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay)
Large
river delta
A river delta is a landform, archetypically triangular, created by the deposition of the sediments that are carried by the waters of a river, where the river merges with a body of slow-moving water or with a body of stagnant water. The creat ...
s
Afrotropic
*
Niger River delta (
Nigeria
Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
)
Indomalaya
*
Indus River Delta
The Indus River Delta forms where the Indus River flows into the Arabian Sea, mostly in the southern Sindh province of Pakistan with a small portion in the Kutch Region of India. The delta covers an area of about , and is approximately across ...
(India, Pakistan)
Palearctic
*
Volga River Delta (Kazakhstan, Russia)
*
Mesopotamian delta and marshes (Iran, Iraq, Kuwait)
*
Danube River delta (Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania, Ukraine, Yugoslavia)
*
Lena River
The Lena is a river in the Russian Far East and is the easternmost river of the three great rivers of Siberia which flow into the Arctic Ocean, the others being Ob (river), Ob and Yenisey. The Lena River is long and has a capacious drainage basi ...
delta (Russia)
Small rivers
Afrotropic
*Upper Guinea rivers and streams (Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone)
*Madagascar freshwater (
Madagascar
Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
)
*
Gulf of Guinea rivers and streams (Angola, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, Republic of Congo)
*Cape rivers and streams (
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
)
Australasia
*
New Guinea rivers and streams (
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
,
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...
)
*
New Caledonia rivers and streams (
New Caledonia
New Caledonia ( ; ) is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, southwest of Vanuatu and east of Australia. Located from Metropolitan France, it forms a Overseas France#Sui generis collectivity, ''sui generis'' collectivity of t ...
)
*Kimberley rivers and streams (Australia)
*
Southwest Australia rivers and streams (Australia)
*Eastern Australia rivers and streams (Australia)
Indomalaya
*Xi Jiang rivers and streams (China, Vietnam)
*
Western Ghats Rivers and Streams (India)
*
Southwestern Sri Lanka rivers and streams (
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
)
*
Salween River (China, Myanmar, Thailand)
*
Sundaland rivers and swamps (Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore)
Nearctic
*Southeastern rivers and streams (United States)
*
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest (PNW; ) is a geographic region in Western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common ...
coastal rivers and streams (United States)
*
Gulf of Alaska coastal rivers and streams (Canada, United States)
Neotropic
*Guianan freshwater (Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela)
*Greater Antillean freshwater (Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico)
Palearctic
*Balkan rivers and streams (Albania, Bosnia and Herzogovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Turkey, Yugoslavia)
*Russian Far East rivers and wetlands (China, Mongolia, Russia)
Large lakes
Afrotropic
*
Rift Valley lakes (Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia)
Neotropic
*High Andean lakes (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru)
Palearctic
*
Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal is a rift lake and the deepest lake in the world. It is situated in southern Siberia, Russia between the Federal subjects of Russia, federal subjects of Irkutsk Oblast, Irkutsk Oblasts of Russia, Oblast to the northwest and the Repu ...
(Russia)
*
Lake Biwa
is the largest freshwater lake in Japan. It is located entirely within Shiga Prefecture (west-central Honshu), northeast of the former capital city of Kyoto. Lake Biwa is an ancient lake, over 4 million years old. It is estimated to be the 13 ...
(Japan)
Small lakes
Afrotropic
*Cameroon crater lakes (Cameroon)
Australasia
*Lakes
Kutubu and Sentani (Indonesia, Papua New Guinea)
*Central
Sulawesi
Sulawesi ( ), also known as Celebes ( ), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the List of islands by area, world's 11th-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Min ...
lakes (Indonesia)
Indomalaya
*Philippines freshwater (Philippines)
*
Inle Lake (Myanmar)
*
Yunnan
Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...
lakes and streams (China)
Neotropic
*Mexican highland lakes (Mexico)
Xeric basins
Australasia
*Central Australian freshwater (Australia)
Nearctic
*
Chihuahuan freshwater (Mexico, United States)
Palearctic
*Anatolian freshwater (Syria, Turkey)
Global 200 Marine ecoregions
Polar
Antarctic Ocean
*
Antarctic Peninsula & Weddell Sea
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five oceanic divisions. It spans an area of approximately and is the coldest of the world's oceans. The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) recognizes it as an ocean, ...
*
Bering Sea
The Bering Sea ( , ; rus, Бе́рингово мо́ре, r=Béringovo móre, p=ˈbʲerʲɪnɡəvə ˈmorʲe) is a marginal sea of the Northern Pacific Ocean. It forms, along with the Bering Strait, the divide between the two largest landmasse ...
(Canada, Russia, United States)
*
Barents-Kara Sea (Norway, Russia)
Temperate shelves and seas
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
*Mediterranean (Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Morocco, Serbia & Montenegro, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey)
Temperate Northern Atlantic
*
Northeast Atlantic Shelf Marine (Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, United Kingdom)
*
Grand Banks (Canada, St. Pierre and Miquelon (France), United States)
*
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula, including parts of the Ea ...
(United States)
Temperate Northern Pacific
*
Yellow Sea (China, North Korea, South Korea)
*
Sea of Okhotsk (Japan, Russia)
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the world ocean, generally taken to be south of 60th parallel south, 60° S latitude and encircling Antarctica. With a size of , it is the seco ...
*
Patagonian Southwest Atlantic (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay)
*
Southern Australian Marine (Australia)
*
New Zealand Marine (New Zealand)
Temperate upwelling
North Temperate Indo-Pacific
*
California Current (Canada, Mexico, United States)
South Temperate Atlantic
*
Benguela Current (Namibia, South Africa)
South Temperate Indo-Pacific
*
Humboldt Current (Chile, Ecuador, Peru)
*
Agulhas Current (Mozambique, South Africa)
Tropical upwelling
Central Indo-Pacific
*
Western Australian Marine (Australia)
Eastern Indo-Pacific
*
Panama Bight (Colombia, Ecuador, Panama)
*
Gulf of California (Mexico)
*
Galápagos Marine (Ecuador)
Eastern Tropical Atlantic
*
Canary Current (Canary Islands, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Morocco, Senegal, Western Sahara)
Tropical coral
Central Indo-Pacific
*
Nansei Shoto (Ryukyu Islands) (Japan)
*
Sulu-Sulawesi Seas (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines)
*
Bismarck-Solomon Seas (Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands)
*
Banda-Flores Sea (Indonesia)
*
New Caledonia Barrier Reef (New Caledonia)
*
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over over an area of approximately . The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, ...
(Australia)
*
Lord Howe-Norfolk Islands Marine (Australia)
*
Palau Marine (Palau)
*
Andaman Sea
The Andaman Sea (historically also known as the Burma Sea) is a marginal sea of the northeastern Indian Ocean bounded by the coastlines of Myanmar and Thailand along the Gulf of Martaban and the west side of the Malay Peninsula, and separated f ...
(Andaman and Nicobar Islands (India), Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand)
Eastern Indo-Pacific
*
Tahitian Marine (Cook Islands, French Polynesia)
*
Hawaiian Marine (Hawaii)
*
Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
*
Fiji Barrier Reef (Fiji)
Western Indo-Pacific
*
Maldives
The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in South Asia located in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, abou ...
,
Chagos, and
Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep () is a union territory of India. It is an archipelago of 36 islands divided into three island subgroups: the Amindivi Islands in the north, the Laccadive Islands (separated from Amindivi roughly by the 11th parallel north), and th ...
atolls (Chagos Archipelago (United Kingdom), India, Maldives, Sri Lanka)
*
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and th ...
(Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen)
*
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea () is a region of sea in the northern Indian Ocean, bounded on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, Gulf of Aden and Guardafui Channel, on the northwest by Gulf of Oman and Iran, on the north by Pakistan, on the east by India, and ...
(Djibouti, Iran, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen)
*
East African Marine (Kenya, Mozambique, Somalia, Tanzania)
*
West Madagascar Marine (Comoros, Madagascar, Mayotte and Iles Glorieuses (France), Seychelles)
Western Tropical Atlantic
*
Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico)
*
Greater Antillean Marine (Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos Islands, United States)
*
Southern Caribbean Sea (Aruba, Colombia, Netherlands Antilles, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela)
*
Northeast Brazil Shelf Marine (Brazil)
Global Priority Places
WWF has identified 35 global priority places around the world (terrestrial, freshwater and marine) as either being home to irreplaceable and threatened biodiversity, or representing an opportunity to conserve the largest and most intact representative of their ecosystem.
# African
Rift Lakes Region - Include the 3 largest lakes in Africa: Victoria, Tanganyika and Malawi, as well as lakes Turkana, Albert, Edward, Kivu and others.
#
Altai-Sayan Montane Forests - One of the last remaining untouched areas of the world
# Amazon Guianas - World's largest tropical rain forest and river basin with a mosaic of mountains, coniferous forests, steppe and alpine meadows.
# Amur-Heilong - Refuge for Amur leopard and tiger.
# Arctic Seas & Associated Boreal/Tundra - Protecting Arctic Environments
#
Atlantic Forests - Forest stretches from the Atlantic coast of Brazil, south along the Brazilian Atlantic coastline and inland into northeast Argentina and eastern Paraguay.
# Borneo and Sumatra - Priceless forests harbor untold species
#
Cerrado
The Cerrado () is a vast ecoregion of Tropics, tropical savanna in central Brazil, being present in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Maranhão, Piauí, Bahia, Minas Gerais, São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Paraná ...
-
Pantanal
The Pantanal () is a natural region encompassing the world's largest tropical wetland area, and the world's largest Flooded grasslands and savannas, flooded grasslands. It is located mostly within the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, but i ...
#
Chihuahuan Desert - Protecting the balance of a desert
#
Chocó–Darién
# Coastal East Africa - Improving livelihoods by conserving nature
# Congo Basin - Protecting Africa's tropical forests
#
Coral Triangle - Home to the world's most abundant variety of corals and sea life
# Eastern Himalayas - Empowering communities to protect sacred lands
#
Fynbos
Fynbos (; , ) is a small belt of natural shrubland or heathland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. The area is predominantly coastal and mountainous, with a Mediterranean climate. The fynbos ...
# The Galápagos - The world's most treasured islands
# Greater Black Sea Basin
# Lake Baikal
#
Madagascar
Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
- Safeguarding one of Earth's most captivating islands
#
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
# Mekong Complex - Protecting the river of life from source to sea
#
Miombo woodland
Miombo woodland is a tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome (in the World Wide Fund for Nature scheme) located in central and southern tropical Africa. It includes three woodland savanna ecoregions (listed below) charac ...
s
# Namib-Karoo-Kaokoveld
# New Guinea & Offshore Islands
# Northern Great Plains
# Orinoco River & Flooded Forests
# Southeastern Rivers and Streams
# Southern Chile - A land of ancient forests and abundant oceans
#
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the world ocean, generally taken to be south of 60th parallel south, 60° S latitude and encircling Antarctica. With a size of , it is the seco ...
#
Southwest Australia
# Southwest Pacific
# Sumatra
# West Africa Marine
#
Western Ghats
# Yangtze Basin - Sustaining a valley of life
Gallery
Image:Ecoregions.png, WWF Global 200 ecoregions.
Image:Wwfeco.png, WWF terrestrial ecoregions.
Image:Ucayalirivermap.png, Map of the Amazon Basin. Urubamba - Ucayali River.
Image:Lijiang_Lage.jpg, Lijiang City, Yunnan, China.
Image:Indiahills.png, Hills of India.
Image:Ocean drainage.png, Major endorheic basins of the world. Basins are shown in dark gray; major endorheic lakes are shown in black.
Image:Vegetation-no-legend.PNG, Terrestrial biomes classified by vegetation.
See also
*Biodiversity hotspots
*Megadiverse countries
*Arid Forest Research Institute (AFRI)
References
External links
A-Z of Areas of Biodiversity Importance: Global 200 Ecoregions*[http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/where_we_work/ecoregions/maps/index.cfm Conservation status map of the global 200]
List of the Global 200Global Priority Places
{{Use British English Oxford spelling, date=November 2017
WWF ecoregions
Ecology lists
Environmental conservation
Lists of places
Top lists