Biogeography
This is the branch of geography that studies the past and present distribution of the
world's many species. It is usually considered to be a part of physical geography as
it usually relate to the examination of the physical environment and how it affect
species and shaped their distribution accross space
Type of Biogeography
1. Historical biogeography: This is called Paleo Biogeography and it study the past
distribution of animals. It looks at their evolutionary history and those things like past
climate change to determine why a certain species of organisms may have develop
in a particular area e.g the historical approach would say that there are more species
in the tropics that has high latitudes because the tropics usually experiences less
severe climate change during glacial period and these would definitely lead into few
extinctions and more stable population over time.
2. Ecological biogeography: This talks about the current factors that are
responsible for the distribution of plant and animal. The most common fields of
research within ecological biogeography includes climate equalbility, primary
productivity and habitat heterogeneity.
I. Climate equalbility: This looks at the variation between daily and annual
temperature. It is very hard to survive in areas with high variation between day and
night and seasonal temperature. Because of this, there are fewer species at high
latitudes because more adaptations are needed to be able to survive there. In
contrast, the tropics have a steady climate with fewer relations in temperature, this
means that they do not need to spend their time and energy on being dormant and
regenerating their leaves and flowers.
II. Primary Productivity: This looks at evapotranspiration rate of plant. Where
evapotranspiration is high, the higher the plant growth. Therefore, areas like the
trophics that are warm and moist increases the rate of transpiration in and allowing
more plant to grow there.
III. Habitat Heterogeneity: It leads to the presence of more biodiversity.
3. Conservation biogeography: It talks about the protection or restoration of nature
which include floral (plant) and fauna (animal).
Specie Distribution
Biogeography 1
This is the branch of geography that studies the past and present distribution of the
world's many species. It is usually considered to be a part of physical geography as
it usually relate to the examination of the physical environment and how it affect
species and shaped their distribution accross space
Type of Biogeography
1. Historical biogeography: This is called Paleo Biogeography and it study the past
distribution of animals. It looks at their evolutionary history and those things like past
climate change to determine why a certain species of organisms may have develop
in a particular area e.g the historical approach would say that there are more species
in the tropics that has high latitudes because the tropics usually experiences less
severe climate change during glacial period and these would definitely lead into few
extinctions and more stable population over time.
2. Ecological biogeography: This talks about the current factors that are
responsible for the distribution of plant and animal. The most common fields of
research within ecological biogeography includes climate equalbility, primary
productivity and habitat heterogeneity.
I. Climate equalbility: This looks at the variation between daily and annual
temperature. It is very hard to survive in areas with high variation between day and
night and seasonal temperature. Because of this, there are fewer species at high
latitudes because more adaptations are needed to be able to survive there. In
contrast, the tropics have a steady climate with fewer relations in temperature, this
means that they do not need to spend their time and energy on being dormant and
regenerating their leaves and flowers.
II. Primary Productivity: This looks at evapotranspiration rate of plant. Where
evapotranspiration is high, the higher the plant growth. Therefore, areas like the
trophics that are warm and moist increases the rate of transpiration in and allowing
more plant to grow there.
III. Habitat Heterogeneity: It leads to the presence of more biodiversity.
3. Conservation biogeography: It talks about the protection or restoration of nature
which include floral (plant) and fauna (animal).
Specie Distribution
Biogeography 1
