The Global 200 is the list of ecoregions identified by the World Wide Fund for Nature (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.
Global 200: Terrestrial
changeTropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
changeAfrotropic
change- Guinean moist forests
- Congolian coastal forests
- Cameroon Highlands forests
- Northeastern Congolian lowland forests
- Central Congolian lowland forests
- Western Congolian moist forests
- Albertine Rift montane forests
- East African Coastal Forests
- Eastern African montane forests
- Madagascar lowlands and subhumid forests
- Seychelles and Mascarene Islands moist forests
Australasia
change- Sulawesi moist forests
- Moluccas moist forests
- Southern New Guinea lowland forests
- New Guinea montane forests
- Solomons-Vanuatu-Bismarck moist forests
- Queensland tropical rain forests
- New Caledonia moist forests
- Lord Howe-Norfolk Islands forests
Indomalaya
change- South Western Ghats montane rain forests and moist deciduous forests
- Sri Lanka moist forests
- Northern Indochina Subtropical moist forests
- Southeast China-Hainan moist forests
- Taiwan montane forests
- Annamite Range moist forests
- Sumatran Islands lowland and montane forests
- Philippines moist forests
- Palawan moist forests
- Kayah-Karen/Tenasserim moist forests
- Peninsular Malaysian lowland and montane forests
- Borneo lowland and montane forests
- Nansei Shoto Archipelago forests
- Eastern Deccan Plateau moist forests
- Naga-Manipuri-Chin hills moist forests
- Cardamom Mountains moist forests
- Western Java montane forests
Neotropic
change- 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
changeTropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests
changeAfrotropic
changeAustralasia
changeIndomalaya
changeNeotropic
change- Mexican dry forests
- Tumbesian-Andean valleys dry forests
- Chiquitano dry forests
- Atlantic dry forests
Oceania
changeTropical and subtropical coniferous forests
changeNearctic
changeNeotropic
changeTemperate broadleaf and mixed forests
changeAustralasia
changeIndomalaya
changeNearctic
changePalearctic
changeTemperate coniferous forests
changeNearctic
change- Pacific temperate rain forests
- Klamath-Siskiyou forests
- Sierra Nevada forests
- Southeastern coniferous and broadleaf forests
Neotropic
changePalearctic
change- European-Mediterranean montane mixed forests
- Caucasus-Anatolian-Hycanian temperate forests
- Altai-Sayan montane forests
- Hengduan Shan coniferous forests
Boreal forests/taiga
changeNearctic
changePalearctic
changeTropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
changeAfrotropic
change- Horn of Africa acacia savannas
- East African acacia savannas
- Central and Eastern miombo woodlands
- Sudanian savannas
Australasia
changeIndomalaya
changeNeotropic
change- Llanos savannas
- Cerrado woodlands and savannas
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
changeNearctic
changeNeotropic
change- Patagonian steppe
Palearctic
changeFlooded grasslands and savannas
changeAfrotropic
changeIndomalaya
change- Rann of Kutch flooded grasslands
Neotropic
change- Everglades flooded grasslands
- Pantanal flooded savannas
Montane grasslands and shrublands
changeAfrotropic
change- Ethiopian Highlands
- Southern Rift montane woodlands
- East African moorlands
- Drakenberg montane shrublands and woodlands
Australasia
changeIndomalaya
changeNeotropic
changePalearctic
changeTundra
changeNearctic
changePalearctic
changeMediterranean forests, woodlands, and shrub
changeAfrotropic
changeAustralasia
changeNearctic
changeNeotropic
changePalearctic
changeDeserts and xeric shrublands
changeAfrotropic
change- Namib-Karoo-kaokoveld deserts
- Madagascar spiny thicket
- Socotra Island desert
- Arabian Highland woodlands and shrublands
Australasia
changeNearctic
change- Sonoran-Baja deserts
- Chihuahuan-Tehuacan deserts
Neotropic
change- Galapagos Islands scrub
- Atacama-Sechura deserts
Palearctic
changeMangroves
changeAfrotropic
changeAustralasia
changeIndomalaya
changeNeotropic
changeGlobal 200: Freshwater ecoregions
changeLarge rivers
changeAfrotropic
change- Congo River and flooded forests (Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo)
Indomalaya
change- Mekong River (Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam)
Nearctic
change- Colorado River (Mexico, United States)
- Lower Mississippi River (United States)
Neotropic
change- Amazon River and flooded forests (Brazil, Colombia, Peru)
- Orinoco River and flooded forests (Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela)
Palearctic
change- Yangtze River and lakes (China)
Large river headwaters
changeAfrotropic
change- Congo basin piedmont rivers and streams (Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Republic of Congo, Sudan)
Nearctic
change- Mississippi piedmont rivers and streams (United States)
Neotropic
change- 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
changeAfrotropic
changeIndomalaya
change- Indus River Delta (India, Pakistan)
Palearctic
change- 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
changeAfrotropic
change- 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
change- 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
change- 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
change- 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
change- Guianan freshwater (Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela)
- Greater Antillean freshwater (Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico)
Palearctic
change- 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
changeAfrotropic
change- Rift Valley lakes (Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia)
Neotropic
change- High Andean lakes (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru)
Palearctic
change- Lake Baikal (Russia)
- Lake Biwa (Japan)
Small lakes
changeAfrotropic
change- Cameroon crater lakes (Cameroon)
Australasia
change- Lakes Kutubu and Sentani (Indonesia, Papua New Guinea)
- Central Sulawesi lakes (Indonesia)
Indomalaya
changeNeotropic
change- Mexican highland lakes (Mexico)
Xeric basins
changeAustralasia
change- Central Australian freshwater (Australia)
Nearctic
change- Chihuahuan freshwater (Mexico, United States)
Palearctic
change- Anatolian freshwater (Syria, Turkey)
Global 200 Marine ecoregions
changePolar
changeAntarctic Ocean
changeArctic Ocean
change- Bering Sea (Canada, Russia, United States)
- Barents-Kara Sea (Norway, Russia)
Temperate shelfs and seas
changeMediterranean
change- 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
change- 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
change- Yellow Sea (China, North Korea, South Korea)
- Sea of Okhotsk (Japan, Russia)
Southern Ocean
change- Patagonian Southwest Atlantic (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay)
- Southern Australian Marine (Australia)
- New Zealand Marine (New Zealand)
Temperate upwelling
changeNorth Temperate Indo-Pacific
change- California Current (Canada, Mexico, United States)
South Temperate Atlantic
change- Benguela Current (Namibia, South Africa)
South Temperate Indo-Pacific
change- Humboldt Current (Chile, Ecuador, Peru)
- Agulhas Current (Mozambique, South Africa)
Tropical upwelling
changeCentral Indo-Pacific
change- Western Australian Marine (Australia)
Eastern Indo-Pacific
change- Panama Bight (Colombia, Ecuador, Panama)
- Gulf of California (Mexico)
- Galápagos Marine (Ecuador)
Eastern Tropical Atlantic
change- Canary Current (Canary Islands, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Morocco, Senegal, Western Sahara)
Tropical coral
changeCentral Indo-Pacific
change- 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
change- Tahitian Marine (Cook Islands, French Polynesia)
- Hawaiian Marine (Hawaii)
- Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
- Fiji Barrier Reef (Fiji)
Western Indo-Pacific
change- 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
change- 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, Columbia, Netherlands Antilles, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela)
- Northeast Brazil Shelf Marine (Brazil)