List of ecoregions in France

The following is a list of ecoregions in France, according to the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Metropolitan France

The ecoregions of Metropolitan France are as follows:

Terrestrial ecoregions

Terrestrial ecoregions of Metropolitan France are listed by biome. All them are in the Palearctic realm.

Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests

• Atlantic mixed forests
• Cantabrian mixed forests
• Pyrenees conifer and mixed forests
• Western European broadleaf forests

Temperate coniferous forests

• Alps conifer and mixed forests

Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub

• Corsican montane broadleaf and mixed forests (Corsica)
• Northeastern Spain and Southern France Mediterranean forests
• Tyrrhenian-Adriatic sclerophyllous and mixed forests (Corsica)

Freshwater ecoregions

• Cantabric Coast - Languedoc
• Central & Western Europe
• Italian Peninsula & Islands (Corsica)

Marine ecoregions

Marine ecoregions of France are listed by marine province. All of them are in the Temperate Northern Atlantic realm.

Northern European Seas province

• Celtic Seas
• North Sea

Lusitanian province

• South European Atlantic Shelf

Mediterranean Sea province

• Western Mediterranean

Overseas France

French Caribbean islands

Includes Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthelemy, and Saint Martin

Terrestrial

The ecoregions are all in the Neotropical realm, and the Caribbean bioregion.

Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests

• Leeward Islands moist forests (Guadeloupe)
• Windward Islands moist forests (Martinique)

Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests

• Windward Islands dry forests (Martinique)

Deserts and xeric shrublands

• Leeward Islands xeric scrub (Guadeloupe, Saint Martin, Saint Barthelemy)
• Windward Islands xeric scrub (Martinique)

Mangroves

• Lesser Antilles mangroves

French Guiana

Terrestrial

French Guiana is part of the Neotropical realm, and the Amazon bioregion.

Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests

• Guianan moist forests

Mangroves

• Guianan mangroves

French Indian Ocean islands

Includes Mayotte, Réunion, Bassas da India, Europa Island, Île Amsterdam, Île Saint-Paul

Terrestrial

All the French Indian Ocean islands are in the Afrotropical realm

Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests

• Comoros forests (Mayotte)
• Mascarene forests (Réunion)

Temperate grasslands and shrublands

• Amsterdam and Saint-Paul Islands temperate grasslands (Île Amsterdam, Île Saint-Paul)

Deserts and xeric shrublands

• Ile Europa and Bassas da India xeric scrub (Bassas da India, Europa Island)

New Caledonia

Terrestrial

New Caledonia is part of the Australasian realm

Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests

• New Caledonia rain forests

French Polynesia

see List of ecoregions in French Polynesia

Wallis and Futuna

Terrestrial

Wallis and Futuna is part of the Oceanian realm

Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests

• Fiji tropical moist forests (Wallis and Futuna)

French Antarctic islands

Includes the Crozet Islands and Kerguelen Islands

Terrestrial

All the French Antarctic Islands are in the Antarctic realm

• Southern Indian Ocean Islands tundra (Crozet Islands, Kerguelen Islands)

References

• Abell, R., M. Thieme, C. Revenga, M. Bryer, M. Kottelat, N. Bogutskaya, B. Coad, N. Mandrak, S. Contreras-Balderas, W. Bussing, M. L. J. Stiassny, P. Skelton, G. R. Allen, P. Unmack, A. Naseka, R. Ng, N. Sindorf, J. Robertson, E. Armijo, J. Higgins, T. J. Heibel, E. Wikramanayake, D. Olson, H. L. Lopez, R. E. d. Reis, J. G. Lundberg, M. H. Sabaj Perez, and P. Petry. (2008). Freshwater ecoregions of the world: A new map of biogeographic units for freshwater biodiversity conservation. BioScience 58:403-414, .
• Spalding, Mark D., Helen E. Fox, Gerald R. Allen, Nick Davidson et al. "Marine Ecoregions of the World: A Bioregionalization of Coastal and Shelf Areas". Bioscience Vol. 57 No. 7, July/August 2007, pp. 573–583.