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 ( -oma )

Example Sentences

Kinross tells me that my gut biome is roughly equivalent to an Italian man five years older than me.

From BBC

The scale of the increase varied across the four different biomes surveyed, with the sharpest rise in tropical savannas.

From Barron's

Both of these sensitive biomes have been affected by severe drought in recent years that has been linked to climate change.

From Barron's

The visitor attraction and environmental charity's huge bubble-like domes, called biomes, were built to recreate some of the Earth's different climates, as well house thousands of different plant species and some animals.

From BBC

“Native trees also support local wildlife, specifically ones endemic to our geographical biome. Pollinators, nesting birds, migratory birds and other species rely on them.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ecosystem
• habitat