Global 200 Totally Explained

Everything about The Global 200 totally explained

The Global 200 is the list of ecoregions identified by the World Wildlife Fund (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.

Background

The WWF has identified 867 terrestrial ecoregions across the Earth's land surface, as well as freshwater and marine ecoregions. The goal of this classification system is to ensure that the full range of ecosystems will be represented in regional conservation and development strategies. Of these ecoregions, the WWF selected the Global 200 as the ecoregions most crucial to the conservation of global biodiversity. The Global 200 list actually contains 238 ecoregions, made up of 142 terrestrial, 53 freshwater, and 43 marine ecoregions. Conservationists interested in preserving biodiversity have generally focused on the preservation of tropical moist broadleaf forests (commonly known as tropical rainforests) because it's estimated that they harbor one half of Earth's species. On the other hand, the WWF determined that a more comprehensive strategy for conserving global biodiversity should also consider the other half of species, as well as the ecosystems that support them.
Several habitats, such as Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and shrub biome, were determined to be more threatened than tropical rain forests, and therefore require concerted conservation action. WWF maintains that "although conservation action typically takes place at the country level, patterns of biodiversity and ecological processes (for example, migration) don't conform to political boundaries", which is why ecoregion-based conservation strategies are deemed essential.

Classification

Historically, zoologists and botanists have developed various classification systems that take into account the world's plant and animal communities. Two of the worldwide classification systems most commonly used today were summarized by Miklos Udvardy in 1975.
The Earth's land surface can be divided into eight biogeographical realms (formerly called kingdoms, and which the WWF calls ecozones) that represent the major terrestrial communities of animals and plants, and are a synthesis of previous systems of floristic provinces and faunal regions. The biome system classifies the world into ecosystem types (for example forests, grasslands, etc.) based on climate and vegetation. Each biogeographical realm contains multiple biomes, and biomes occur across several biogeographical realms. A system of biogeographical provinces was developed to identify specific geographic areas in each biogeographical realm that were of a consistent biome type, and shared distinct plant and animal communities. The WWF system represents a further refinement of the system of biomes (which the WWF calls "major habitat types"), biogeographical realms, and biogeographical provinces (the WWF scheme divides most biogeographical provinces into multiple smaller ecoregions).

Selection process

Based on a comprehensive list of ecoregions, The Global 200 includes all major habitat types (biomes), all ecosystem types, and species from every major habitat type. It focuses on each major habitat type of every continent (such as tropical forests or coral reefs). It uses ecoregions as the unit of scale for comparison. WWF say ecoregions could be considered as conservation units at regional scale because they meet similar biological communities.
Some ecoregions were selected over other ecoregions of the same major habitat type (biome) or ecozone. Selection of the Global 200 relied on extensive studies of 19 terrestrial, freshwater, and marine major habitat types. Selection of the ecoregions was based on analyses of species richness, species endemism, unique higher taxa, unusual ecological or evolutionary phenomena, and global rarity of major habitat type.
Global 200 ecoregion list is most helpful to conservation efforts at a regional scale: local deforestation, destruction of swamp habitats, degradation of soils, etc. However, certain phenomena, such as bird or whale migration, depend on more complex parameters not used to define the current database, such as atmospheric currents and dynamic pelagic ecosystems. These would require gathering more information, and co-ordination of efforts between multiple ecoregions. However, the Global 200 ecoregions can help these efforts by identifying habitat sites and resting sites for migratory animals. It may also help identify the origin of invasive species, and offer insights for slowing down or stopping their intrusion.

Global 200: Terrestrial

Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests

Afrotropic

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

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 Himalayn 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, Colombia, Netherlands Antilles, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela)

Northeast Brazil Shelf Marine (Brazil)Further Information

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