About this Collection

An ecological region or "ecoregion" is an ecologically and geographically defined area of the Earth that typically covers a relatively large area of land or water, and is defined by characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural communities and species. Characteristics of geographical phenomena may include geology, physiography, vegetation, climate, hydrology, terrestrial and aquatic fauna, and soils, and may or may not include the impacts of human activity (e.g. land use patterns, vegetation changes). Ecoregions thus denote areas of general similarity in ecosystems and in the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources that humans use. They are designed to serve as a spatial framework for the research, assessment, management, and monitoring of ecosystems and ecosystem components. In particular, the ecoregion concept is central to the effort to monitor and conserve biological diversity.

This collection holds the results from several of the most widley used systems to delineate ecoregions. These include the work of Dr. Robert G. Bailey, a geographer for the U.S Forest Service; the Commission for Environmental Cooperation Working Group (CEC), a joint United States, Mexico, and Canada collaboration;  James Omernik and colleagues at the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Contents of the Collection

1. What is an ecoregion?

2. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Classification

3. Ecoregions of North America (CEC)

4. Ecoregions of the United States (CEC and Omernik)

5. Ecoregions of the United States (Bailey)

6. Essential reading about ecoregions