Ecoregions

What is an Ecoregion?
An ecoregion is defined as a large area of land or water that contains a geographically distinct assemblage of natural communities that

(a) share a large majority of their species and ecological dynamics;
(b) share similar environmental conditions, and;
(c) interact ecologically in ways that are critical for their long-term persistence.

The Conservation Science Program has identified 825 terrestrial ecoregions across the globe, and a set of approximately 500 freshwater ecoregions is under development (WWF has not yet developed an analogous global framework of marine ecoregions).

Priority Ecoregions
WWF has assessed these ecoregions and identified the Global 200 -- the most biologically distinct terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecoregions of the planet. This global assessment has been built in part through a series of more detailed regional assessments that the Conservation Science Program continues to undertake.

Ecoregion Conservation
Within these priority ecoregions, WWF pursues ecoregion conservation, a unique, broad-scale approach to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy that conserves the species, habitats, and ecological processes of the ecoregion.

Landscape (Priority Area) Conservation
The process of ecoregion conservation generally leads to a biodiversity vision. The vision generally identifies priority areas--often referred to as landscapes or seascapes. Once defined, the next important step is to develop cost-effective, spatially-explicit strategies that meet the ecological needs of wildlife and habitats while minimizing human-wildlife conflicts and maximizing benefits to resident populations. This step is often referred to as landscape conservation.