biome
[ bahy-ohm ]
/ ˈbaɪ oʊm /
noun Ecology.
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.
Words nearby biome
British Dictionary definitions for biome
biome
/ (ˈbaɪˌəʊm) /
noun
a major ecological community, extending over a large area and usually characterized by a dominant vegetation
See formation (def. 6)
Word Origin for biome
C20: from
bio- +
-ome
Medical definitions for biome
biome
[ bī′ōm′ ]
n.
The total complex of biotic communities occupying and characterizing a particular area or zone, such as a desert or deciduous forest.
Scientific definitions for biome
biome
[ bī′ōm′ ]
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.