Bioregional Vocabulary
A biogeographic realm is the broadest biogeographic divisio
They are subdivided into bioregions, which are further subdivided into ecoregions.
A biogeographic realm is also known as “ecozone”, although that term may also refer to ecoregions.
A bioregion is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a biogeographic realm, but larger than an ecoregion or an ecosystem, in the World Wide Fund for Nature classification scheme.
There is also an attempt to use the term in a rank-less generalist sense, similar to the terms “biogeographic area” or “biogeographic unit”.[1]
It may be conceptually similar to an ecoprovince.[2]
It is also differently used in the environmentalist context, being coined by Berg and Dasmann (1977).[3][4]
An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural communities and specie
An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact.[2]: 458
Ecosystems are controlled by external and internal factors. External factors such as climate, parent material which forms the soil and topography, control the overall structure of an ecosystem but are not themselves influenced by the ecosystem. Internal factors are controlled, for example, by decomposition, root competition, shading, disturbance, succession, and the types of species present.
A biome (/ˈbaɪ.oʊm/) is a biogeographical unit consisting of a biological community that has formed in response to the physical environment[1] in which they are found and a shared regional climate.[2][3][4]
Biomes may span more than one continent. Biome is a broader term than habitat and can comprise a variety of habitats.
In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species.
A species habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ecological niche. Thus “habitat” is a species-specific term, fundamentally different from concepts such as environment or vegetation assemblages, for which the term “habitat-type” is more appropriate.[2]
An ecotone is a transition area between two biological communities,[1] where two communities meet and integrate.[2]
It may be narrow or wide, and it may be local (the zone between a field and forest) or regional (the transition between forest and grassland ecosystems).[3]
An ecotone may appear on the ground as a gradual blending of the two communities across a broad area, or it may manifest itself as a sharp boundary line.
