The term boreal is usually applied to ecosystems localized in subarctic (Northern hemisphere) and subantarctic (Southern hemisphere) zones, although Austral is also used for the latter.
The ecosystems that lie immediately to the south (in the Northern hemisphere) or to the north (in the Southern hemisphere) of boreal zones are often called hemiboreal.
A "boreal forest", also known as the Taiga, is a forest ecosystem that can survive in northern, specifically subarctic, regions.
The Koppen symbols of boreal ecosystems are Dfc, Dwc, Dfd and Dwd.