Global ecological regionalization: from biogeography to ecosystem services

Ecological regionalization is not only an abstraction of understanding nature but also a form of management guidance toward achieving environmental sustainability. The existing global ecoregion scheme successfully contributes to the conservation of global and regional biodiversity. As highlighted by the conceptual framework of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), an integrated understanding of biodiversity and ecosystem services is required. In this new age, we propose a concept of global ecological functional regionalization, which should be separated from the former idea of biogeographical regionalization. With the consideration of key geographical characteristics and ecosystem services, the views of global environmental change and human activities are included in this new framework. However, key questions still exist about the principles, indicators, methods and applications of a global ecological functional regionalization. In the next studies, global ecological regionalization should focus more on the uncertainties of spatial datasets and mathematical models.