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How are biomes related to larger biogeographic regions?

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World map using color coding to show the distribution of major floral kingdoms, subkingdoms, and regions. Key floral kingdoms include Boreal (green), Neotropical (pink), Paleotropical (yellow), South African or Capensic (purple), Australian (orange), and Antarctic (blue). Boundaries for subkingdoms, regions, and divisions are marked with different colored lines, and major regions such as Indoafrican, North American, and Malesian are labeled across continents. — biogeographic region Floral kingdoms, subkingdoms, and major regions of the world.

Biomes and biogeographic regions are distinct but related concepts in ecology. A biome is defined as the fundamental unit of a larger biogeographic region.

While biomes are categorized by similar climatic conditions, geologic features, and the presence of ecologically equivalent species, they do not necessarily share the same evolutionary history or specific species composition across different parts of the world. In contrast, larger biogeographic regions—often referred to as floral kingdoms or faunal realms—are defined by the unique distribution of plants and animals, which is shaped not only by present-day environmental factors but also by historical events such as continental drift and past climates.1

In essence, while a biome represents a type of environment that supports organisms with similar life strategies globally, a biogeographic region accounts for the specific, historically influenced distribution of life within those environments.1