Home > Encyclopedia of Science > Biome

• Terrestrial biomes
• Words to Know
• Freshwater biomes
• Marine biomes
• Human-dominated biomes

A biome is an ecosystem containing plant and animal species that are characteristic to a specific geographic region. (An ecosystem is the community of plants and animals in an area considered together with their environment.) The nature of a biome is determined primarily by climate, including a region's annual average temperature and amount of rainfall. Biomes are often named for the vegetation found within them. They can be classified as terrestrial (land), aquatic (water), or anthropogenic (dominated by humans). Some familiar examples of biomes include tundra, desert, chaparral, and open ocean. The accompanying drawing shows the variety of...