[bahy-ohm] 
| a complex biotic community characterized by distinctive plant and animal species and maintained under the climatic conditions of the region, esp. such a community that has developed to climax. |
| bi·ome (bī'ōm') n. A major regional or global biotic community, such as a grassland or desert, characterized chiefly by the dominant forms of plant life and the prevailing climate. |
biome bi·ome (bī'ōm')
n.
The total complex of biotic communities occupying and characterizing a particular area or zone, such as a desert or deciduous forest.
| biome (bī'ōm') Pronunciation Key
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. |
oʊm