Global 200 facts for kids

The Global 200 is the list of ecoregions identified by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) as priorities for conservation. According to the 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 (Dinerstein et al. 1995, TNC 1997)."

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.

Global 200: Terrestrial

Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests

Afrotropic

• Guinean moist forests
• Congolian coastal forests
• Cameroon Highlands forests
• Northeastern Congolian lowland forests
• Central Congolian lowland forests
• Western Congolian moist forests
• Albertine Rift montane forests
• East African Coastal Forests
• Eastern African montane forests
• Madagascar lowlands and subhumid forests
• Seychelles and Mascarene Islands moist forests

Australasia

• Sulawesi moist forests
• Moluccas moist forests
• Southern New Guinea lowland forests
• New Guinea montane forests
• Solomons-Vanuatu-Bismarck moist forests
• Queensland tropical rain forests
• New Caledonia moist forests
• Lord Howe-Norfolk Islands forests

Indomalaya

• South Western Ghats montane rain forests and moist deciduous forests
• Sri Lanka moist forests
• Northern Indochina Subtropical moist forests
• Southeast China-Hainan moist forests
• Taiwan montane forests
• Annamite Range moist forests
• Sumatran Islands lowland and montane forests
• Philippines moist forests
• Palawan moist forests
• Kayah-Karen/Tenasserim moist forests
• Peninsular Malaysian lowland and montane forests
• Borneo lowland and montane forests
• Nansei Shoto Archipelago forests
• Eastern Deccan Plateau moist forests
• Naga-Manipuri-Chin hills moist forests
• Cardamom Mountains moist forests
• Western Java montane forests

Neotropic

• Greater Antillean moist forests
• Talamancan-Isthmian Pacific forests
• Choco-Darien moist forests
• Northern Andean montane forests
• Coastal Venezuela montane forests
• Guianan moist forests
• Napo moist forests
• Rio Negro-Jurua moist forests
• Guayana Highlands moist forests
• Central Andean yungas
• Southwestern Amazonian moist forests
• Atlantic forests

Oceania

• South Pacific Islands forests
• Hawaii moist forests

Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests

Afrotropic

• Madagascar dry deciduous forests

Australasia

• Nusa Tenggara dry forests
• New Caledonia dry forests

Indomalaya

• Indochina dry forests
• Chhota-Nagpur dry forests

Neotropic

• Mexican dry forests
• Tumbesian-Andean valleys dry forests
• Chiquitano dry forests
• Atlantic dry forests

Oceania

• Hawaii dry forests

Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests

Nearctic

• Sierra Madre Oriental and Occidental pine-oak forests

Neotropic

• Greater Antillean pine forests
• Mesoamerican pine-oak forests

Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests

Australasia

• Eastern Australia temperate forests
• Tasmanian temperate rain forests
• New Zealand temperate forests

Indomalaya

• Eastern Himalayan broadleaf and conifer forests
• Western Himalayan temperate forests

Nearctic

• Appalachian and mixed mesophytic forests

Palearctic

• Southwest China temperate forests
• Russian Far East temperate forests

Temperate coniferous forests

Nearctic

• Pacific temperate rain forests
• Klamath-Siskiyou forests
• Sierra Nevada forests
• Southeastern coniferous and broadleaf forests

Neotropic

• Valdivian temperate rain forests-Juan Fernandez Islands

Palearctic

• European-Mediterranean montane mixed forests
• Caucasus-Anatolian-Hycanian temperate forests
• Altai-Sayan montane forests
• Hengduan Shan coniferous forests

Boreal forests/taiga

Nearctic

• Muskwa-Slave Lake boreal forests
• Canadian taiga

Palearctic

• Ural Mountains taiga
• East Siberian taiga;
• Kamchatka taiga and grasslands

Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands

Afrotropic

• Horn of Africa acacia savannas
• East African acacia savannas
• Central and Eastern miombo woodlands
• Sudanian savannas

Australasia

• Northern Australia and Trans-Fly savannas

Indomalaya

• Terai-Duar savannas and grasslands

Neotropic

• Llanos savannas
• Cerrado woodlands and savannas

Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands

Nearctic

• Northern prairie

Neotropic

• Patagonian steppe

Palearctic

• Daurian steppe

Flooded grasslands and savannas

Afrotropic

• Sudd-Sahelian flooded grasslands and savannas
• Zambezian flooded savannas

Indomalaya

• Rann of Kutch flooded grasslands

Neotropic

• Everglades flooded grasslands
• Pantanal flooded savannas

Montane grasslands and shrublands

Afrotropic

• Ethiopian Highlands
• Southern Rift montane woodlands
• East African moorlands
• Drakenberg montane shrublands and woodlands

Australasia

• Central Range subalpine grasslands

Indomalaya

• Kinabalu montane shrublands

Neotropic

• Northern Andean paramo
• Central Andean dry puna

Palearctic

• Tibetan Plateau steppe
• Middle Asian montane steppe and woodlands
• Eastern Himalayan alpine meadows

Tundra

Nearctic

• Alaskan North Slope coastal tundra
• Canadian low arctic tundra

Palearctic

• Fenno-Scandia alpine tundra and taiga
• Taimyr and Russian coastal tundra
• Chukote coastal tundra

Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and shrub

Afrotropic

• Fynbos

Australasia

• Southwestern Australia forests and scrub
• Southern Australia mallee and woodlands

Nearctic

• California chaparral and woodlands

Neotropic

• Chilean Matorral

Palearctic

• Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and shrub

Deserts and xeric shrublands

Afrotropic

• Namib-Karoo-kaokoveld deserts
• Madagascar spiny thicket
• Socotra Island desert
• Arabian Highland woodlands and shrublands

Australasia

• Carnavon xeric scrub
• Great Sandy-Tanami deserts

Nearctic

• Sonoran-Baja deserts
• Chihuahuan-Tehuacan deserts

Neotropic

• Galapagos Islands scrub
• Atacama-Sechura deserts

Palearctic

• Central Asian deserts

Mangroves

Afrotropic

• Gulf of Guinea mangroves
• East African mangroves
• Madagascar mangroves

Australasia

• New Guinea mangroves

Indomalaya

• Sundarbans mangroves
• Greater Sundas mangroves

Neotropic

• Guianan-Amazon mangroves
• Panama Bight mangroves

Global 200: Freshwater ecoregions

Large rivers

Afrotropic

• Congo River and flooded forests (Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo)

Indomalaya

• Mekong River (Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam)

Nearctic

• Colorado River (Mexico, United States)
• Lower Mississippi River (United States)

Neotropic

• Amazon River and flooded forests (Brazil, Colombia, Peru)
• Orinoco River 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 piedmont rivers and streams (United States)

Neotropic

• Upper Amazon 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 deltas

Afrotropic

• Niger River delta (Nigeria)

Indomalaya

• Indus River Delta (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 delta (Russia)

Small rivers

Afrotropic

• Upper Guinea rivers and streams (Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone)
• Madagascar freshwater (Madagascar)
• 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)

Australasia

• New Guinea rivers and streams (Indonesia, Papua New Guinea)
• New Caledonia rivers and streams (New Caledonia)
• 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)
• Salween River (China, Myanmar, Thailand)
• Sundaland rivers and swamps (Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore)

Nearctic

• Southeastern rivers and streams (United States)
• Pacific Northwest 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 (Russia)
• Lake Biwa (Japan)

Small lakes

Afrotropic

• Cameroon crater lakes (Cameroon)

Australasia

• Lakes Kutubu and Sentani (Indonesia, Papua New Guinea)
• Central Sulawesi lakes (Indonesia)

Indomalaya

• Philippines freshwater (Philippines)
• Inle Lake (Myanmar)
• Yunnan 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

• Bering Sea (Canada, Russia, United States)
• Barents-Kara Sea (Norway, Russia)

Temperate shelfs and seas

Mediterranean

• Mediterranean Sea (Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Morocco, Serbia & Montenegro, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey)

North Temperate 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 (United States)

North Temperate Indo-Pacific

• Yellow Sea (China, North Korea, South Korea)
• Sea of Okhotsk (Japan, Russia)

Southern Ocean

• 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 (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 (Australia)
• Lord Howe-Norfolk Islands Marine (Australia)
• Palau Marine (Palau)
• Andaman Sea (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, Chagos, and Lakshadweep atolls (Chagos Archipelago (United Kingdom), India, Maldives, Sri Lanka)
• Red Sea (Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen)
• Arabian Sea (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 Reef (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, Columbia, Netherlands Antilles, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela)
• Northeast Brazil Shelf Marine (Brazil)

Related pages

• Biodiversity

Images for kids

• 

  WWF Global 200 ecoregions.

• 

  WWF terrestrial ecoregions.

• 

  Map of the Amazon Basin. Urubamba - Ucayali River.

• 

  Lijiang City, Yunnan, China.

• 

  Hills of India.

• 

  Major endorheic basins of the world. Basins are shown in dark gray; major endorheic lakes are shown in black.

• 

  Terrestrial biomes classified by vegetation.

See also

In Spanish: Global 200 para niños