An ecoregion is a "recurring pattern of ecosystems associated with characteristic combinations of soil and landform that characterize that region" (Brunckhorst, D. 2000. Bioregional planning: resource management beyond the new millennium. Harwood Academic Publishers: Sydney, Australia.).
The World Wildlife Fund defines ecoregion as "a large area of land or water that contains a geographically distinct assemblage of natural communities that
Ecoregions are geographic areas of general similarity in ecosystems and in the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources; they are designed to serve as a spatial framework for the research, assessment, management, and monitoring of ecosystems and ecosystem components.
Utah is made up of arid deserts and canyon lands, salt flats, wetlands, semiarid shrub lands, irrigated valleys, woodlands, forested mountains, and glaciated peaks. Level III ecoregions, as established by the EPA, are general, while Level IV ecoregions are more specific. The ecological diversity found within the state of Utah is enormous. There are 7 level III ecoregions and 37 level IV ecoregions in Utah and most continue into ecologically similar parts of adjacent states.
For more information specific to Utah visit: http://www.epa.gov/wed/pages/ecoregions/ut_eco.htm