Map of Biomes – World Ecosystems, Climate Regions & Biome Types
Map of Biomes - World Ecosystems, Climate Regions and Biome Types
Explore the world's major biomes, from tropical rainforests and dry deserts to grasslands, temperate forests, taiga and tundra. This guide explains where biomes are found, how climate shapes them and why different ecosystems support different plants and animals.
Quick answer: What are the main biomes of the world?
Major terrestrial biomes include tropical rainforest, tropical seasonal forest and savanna, desert, temperate grassland, temperate forest, Mediterranean woodland and shrubland, boreal forest (taiga), tundra and alpine environments. Different textbooks and scientific mapping systems use different categories and boundaries.
Explore an Interactive World Biome Map
A biome map groups Earth's landscapes by broad ecological characteristics. For a more detailed view, an ecoregion map divides large biomes into smaller areas with distinctive plants, animals and environmental conditions.
Explore the Global Ecoregion Atlas
View mapped land ecoregions, search by place and explore their wider biome categories.
Explore world biomes and ecoregionsThis is an ecoregion reference atlas using WWF-style terrestrial biome groupings, rather than a single definitive map of all land and ocean ecosystems.
How to Read a Biome Map
- Check the legend: Each colour or label represents a biome category.
- Look at latitude: Tropical, temperate and polar environments tend to occur in different broad latitude bands.
- Compare rainfall and temperature: A dry region can be a desert even when it is cold.
- Notice elevation: Mountain ecosystems may differ sharply from nearby lowlands.
- Check the classification: Biome maps can disagree because researchers use different definitions and mapping scales.
Major World Biomes Compared
| Biome | Typical conditions | Example region |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical rainforest | Warm and generally wet, dense layered vegetation | Amazon Basin, Congo Basin |
| Tropical seasonal forest | Warm with distinct wet and dry seasons | Parts of South and Southeast Asia |
| Savanna | Seasonal rainfall, grasses with scattered trees | East Africa, northern Australia |
| Desert | Very low precipitation; hot or cold | Sahara, central Australia |
| Temperate grassland | Seasonal temperatures, grasses dominate | North American prairies, Eurasian steppe |
| Temperate forest | Moderate rainfall with seasonal changes | Eastern North America, Europe |
| Mediterranean shrubland | Typically dry summers and wetter winters | Mediterranean Basin, southwest Australia |
| Taiga / boreal forest | Long cold winters, conifer-dominated forests | Canada, Siberia |
| Tundra | Cold, short growing season, low vegetation | Arctic Alaska, northern Siberia |
| Alpine environments | High altitude, low temperatures and specialised plants | Himalayas, Andes |
The table uses broad educational categories; some systems combine or subdivide these groups.
What Is a Biome?
A biome is a broad ecological region with characteristic climate, vegetation and forms of animal life. Temperature, precipitation and seasonality are especially important, but soils, altitude, fire, landscape history and human activity also shape ecosystems.
A biome covers a wide ecological type; an ecosystem refers to organisms interacting with their physical environment in a particular setting. An ecoregion is a geographically defined area with relatively distinctive ecological features. These terms overlap, but they are not interchangeable.
Where Are the Main Biomes Found?
Near the equator
Warm temperatures and high rainfall favour tropical rainforests in regions such as the Amazon and Congo basins. Other tropical regions have stronger wet and dry seasons and support savannas or seasonal forests.
Dry subtropical and continental interiors
Deserts are common where rainfall is scarce. They may occur in subtropical high-pressure belts, continental interiors, rain shadows and cold regions. Not all deserts are sandy or hot.
Middle latitudes
Temperate forests, grasslands and Mediterranean-type woodlands occupy regions with different rainfall and seasonal temperature patterns. Their boundaries are shaped by oceans, mountain ranges and local climate.
High latitudes and mountains
Boreal forests dominate large areas of northern Canada and Eurasia. Tundra becomes common beyond the northern treeline, while high mountains can support alpine vegetation above local treelines.
Biomes Found in Australia
Australia is home to several major ecological environments. These include tropical rainforest in northeastern Queensland, savanna woodlands and grasslands across the north, arid and semi-arid deserts in the interior, temperate forests in parts of the southeast and Tasmania, and Mediterranean-type woodlands and shrublands in parts of the south and southwest.
- Wet Tropics, Queensland: Tropical rainforest ecosystems.
- Top End and northern Queensland: Tropical savannas, woodlands and seasonal wetlands.
- Central Australia: Arid shrublands, desert landscapes and sparse grasslands.
- Southeastern Australia and Tasmania: Temperate forests, grasslands and alpine environments.
- Southwestern Australia: Mediterranean-climate woodlands, shrublands and forests.
Australia's official Conservation Management Zones provide more detailed region-specific information. A climate zone is related to, but not the same thing as, a biome.
Terrestrial and Aquatic Biomes
Most familiar world biome maps show terrestrial (land) biomes. Aquatic environments are often grouped separately into freshwater and marine systems, including rivers, lakes, wetlands, estuaries, coral reefs, coastal waters and open oceans. Their patterns depend on factors such as water depth, salinity, temperature, light and nutrient availability.
How Climate Shapes Biomes
- Temperature: Influences growing seasons and the survival of different organisms.
- Rainfall: Determines how much water is available for plant growth.
- Seasonality: Shapes flowering, migration, fire regimes and water availability.
- Soil and geology: Affect drainage, nutrients and vegetation.
- Altitude: Can create cooler ecological conditions over short distances.
Biome boundaries are transitions, not always sharp lines. Grassland can grade into woodland, while mountains can contain several ecological zones at different elevations.
Biomes, Biodiversity and Environmental Change
Biomes support food webs, water cycles and carbon storage, but different biomes do so in different ways. Rainforests can contain very high species diversity, while deserts and tundra support specialised organisms adapted to limited water or cold conditions.
Land clearing, fragmentation, altered fire regimes, invasive species and climate change can affect ecosystem health and distribution. Some areas may shift toward different vegetation patterns over time, but a biome map alone cannot show the condition of every habitat.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main biomes of the world?
Broad categories include tropical rainforest, savanna, desert, grassland, temperate forest, Mediterranean shrubland, boreal forest, tundra and alpine environments. The number varies by classification system.
What is the difference between a biome and an ecosystem?
A biome is a broad ecological region, while an ecosystem describes organisms and their interactions with the environment at a particular scale or location.
What is the largest terrestrial biome?
The boreal forest, or taiga, is commonly described as Earth's largest terrestrial biome by broad land area, although rankings depend on how biomes are defined.
Is Antarctica a desert or tundra?
Most of Antarctica is a polar ice-covered desert because precipitation is very low. It is not typically classified as ordinary Arctic-style tundra across its ice sheet.
Why are deserts not always hot?
Deserts are defined primarily by low precipitation rather than high temperature. Cold deserts also exist in polar regions and continental interiors.
Do Australia and Africa have similar biomes?
Both contain tropical savannas, deserts and other broad ecological types, but their species and local ecological conditions differ.
Do oceans have biomes?
Yes, aquatic biome systems include marine and freshwater environments, although many commonly used world biome maps focus only on land.
Can biome boundaries change?
Yes. Long-term shifts in climate, vegetation, fire and land use can influence biome patterns. Different scientific classification systems may also draw boundaries differently.
Trusted Biome Maps and Reference Resources
- WWF-style Global Ecoregion Atlas - Interactive map
- National Geographic Education - Biomes
- Bureau of Meteorology - Australian Climate Zones
- Australian Government - Conservation Management Zones
Related Fosmore Maps and Guides
- Map of Rainforests
- Map of Climate Zones
- Map of Glaciers
- Map of Ocean Currents
- Map of World Countries
Disclaimer
This page provides general educational and reference information. Biome and ecoregion classifications vary among researchers and mapping providers; boundaries can be approximate, simplified or based on datasets from different years. The linked map and information are not suitable for environmental assessments, property decisions, field navigation or other professional uses without appropriate verification. Fosmore is not affiliated with or endorsed by the external organisations listed here.