Biologically, a woodland is differentiated from a forest. In these terms, a forest has a largely-closed canopy -- in other words, the branches and foliage of trees interlock overhead to provide extensive and nearly continuous shade. A woodland, however, has a largely-open canopy, with sunlight penetrating between trees. Some types of woodland are essentially grasslands with shrubs and scattered trees.

A woodlot is a closely-related term, referring generally to a small area of woods left remaining in a farm or other non-forest matrix, and reserved for wood production, generally for firewood. While these woodlots often technically have closed canopies, they are usually so small that the edge penetration is such that they are ecologically more woodland than forest.

See also:

• Savanna
• Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and shrub

Woodland ecoregions

Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands

• Afrotropic ecozone
  • Angolan Miombo woodlands (Angola)
  • Angolan Mopane woodlands (Angola, Namibia)
  • Central Zambezian Miombo woodlands (Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia)
  • Eastern Miombo woodlands (Mozambique, Tanzania)
  • Kalahari Acacia-Baikiaea woodlands (Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe)
  • Zambezian and Mopane woodlands (Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe)
  • Zambezian Baikiaea woodlands (Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe)
• Neotropic ecozone
  • Cerrado woodlands and savannas (Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay)
    

Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands

• Afrotropic ecozone
  • Al Hajar Al Gharbi montane woodlands (Oman)
• Palearctic ecozone
  • Gissaro-Alai open woodlands (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan

Montane grasslands and shrublands

• Afrotropic ecozone
  • Angolan scarp savanna and woodlands (Angola)
    
  • Drakensberg alti-montane grasslands and woodlands (Lesotho, South Africa)
  • Drakensberg montane grasslands, woodlands and forests (Lesotho, South Africa, Swaziland)
  • East African montane moorlands (Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda)
  • Ethiopian montane grasslands and woodlands (Ethiopia)
• Palearctic ecozone
  • Kopet Dag woodlands and forest steppe (Iran, Turkmenistan)

Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and shrub

• Australasia ecozone
  • Coolgardie woodlands (Australia)
  • Mount Lofty woodlands (Australia)
  • Murray-Darling woodlands and mallee (Australia)
  • Naracoorte woodlands (Australia)
  • Southwest Australia woodlands (Australia)
• Nearctic ecozone
  • California chaparral and woodlands (United States)
• Palearctic ecozone
  • Canary Islands dry woodlands and forests (Spain)
    
  • Mediterranean acacia-argania dry woodlands and succulent thickets (Morocco, Canary Islands (Spain))
    
  • Mediterranean dry woodlands and steppe (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia)
    
  • Mediterranean woodlands and forests (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia)
    
  • Southeastern Iberian shrubs and woodlands (Spain)

Deserts and xeric shrublands

• Afrotropic ecozone
  • East Saharan montane xeric woodlands (Chad, Sudan)
  • Madagascar succulent woodlands (Madagascar)
  • Somali montane xeric woodlands (Somalia)
  • Southwestern Arabian montane woodlands (Saudi Arabia, Yemen)
• Palearctic ecozone
  • Baluchistan xeric woodlands (Afghanistan, Pakistan)
    
  • Central Afghan Mountains xeric woodlands (Afghanistan)
    
  • Central Asian riparian woodlands (Kazakhstan)
    
  • North Saharan steppe and woodlands (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco Tunisia, Western Sahara)
    
  • Paropamisus xeric woodlands (Afghanistan)
    
  • South Saharan steppe and woodlands (Algeria, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Sudan)
    
  • Tibesti-Jebel Uweinat montane xeric woodlands (Chad, Egypt, Libya, Sudan)
  • West Saharan montane xeric woodlands (Algeria, Mali, Mauritania, Niger)