ecozones are characterized by the evolutionary history of the plants and animals they contain. as such, they are distinct from biomes, also known as major habitat types, which are divisions of the earth's surface based on "life form", or the adaptation of plants and animals to climatic, soil, and other conditions. biomes are characterized by similar climax vegetation, regardless of the evolutionary lineage of the specific plants and animals. each ecozone may include a number of different biomes. a tropical forest in central america, for example, may be similar to one in new guinea in its vegetation type, but these forests are inhabited by plants and animals with very different evolutionary histories.