biome

American  

[bahy-ohm] / ˈbaɪ oʊm /

noun

Ecology.

1. a complex biotic community characterized by distinctive plant and animal species and maintained under the climatic conditions of the region, especially such a community that has developed to climax.

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biome British  

/ ˈbaɪˌəʊm /

noun

1. a major ecological community, extending over a large area and usually characterized by a dominant vegetation See formation

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biome Scientific  

/ bī′ōm′ /

1. A large community of plants and animals that occupies a distinct region. Terrestrial biomes, typically defined by their climate and dominant vegetation, include grassland, tundra, desert, tropical rainforest, and deciduous and coniferous forests. There are two basic aquatic biomes, freshwater and marine, which are sometimes further broken down into categories such as lakes and rivers or pelagic, benthic, and intertidal zones.

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Etymology

Origin of biome

First recorded in 1915–20; bi- ² + -ome, indicating a mass or part of something ( see -oma)

Explanation

A biome is a specific environment that's home to living things suited for that place and climate. A desert biome is great for a lizard, but a koala needs the leafy greens of a forest biome. A plant or animal makes its home in a specific biome, which is pronounced "BI-ohm." While a biome can range from an arctic tundra to a tropical rain forest, living things need to stay in the biome that's best suited to keeping them alive and growing. Scientists in the field of ecology, the study of the environmental connections between living things, work to understand the effects of climate change and population growth on biomes.

Example Sentences

The hardest-hit biome last year was once again the Cerrado, a vast, biodiverse savanna south of the Amazon.

From Barron's • May 27, 2026

The investment is so far concentrated in central Brazil’s Cerrado biome, a major producer of grains and cattle where deforestation has been rampant.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

But there does come a "tipping point" for older people when the gut biome gets worse.

From BBC • Jan. 12, 2026

“Each biome reveals something new, each path hints at what’s ahead without giving it away.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2025

She might be studying plants of the tundra biome when her mind questioned whether his teacher was calling him Henry, which he hated.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn

Related Words

• ecosystem
• habitat