Biogeography
Biogeography - Related Videos
04:04
Species Distribution and Biogeography - Concepts
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2019
Species Distribution Biogeography is the study of species distribution across geographic space and the processes that shape these distributions. This discipline is based on the assumption that each species within a location must have immigrated from another geographic area or evolved from a local species. Within each habitat, a variety of biotic and abiotic factors act on individual species to shape birth, death, immigration, and emigration rates. To avoid local extinction, the combined birth...
10:14
Species Distribution and Biogeography - Student Protocol
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2019
Simulating Colonization and Extinction on Islands ExpandForm groups of three. One member of the group will simulate colonization by throwing balls into the groups of cups representing the islands. Another will simulate extinction by rolling dice to randomly remove balls from the cups. The third group member will record the data. Take time to familiarize yourself with the four island stations. NOTE: There are two large islands with 12 cups and two small islands with 6 cups. Two of the stations...
02:29
Species Distribution and Biogeography - Instructor Prep
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2019
Simulating Colonization and Extinction on Islands ExpandFind a table or desk with a cleared space of at least two meters in front of it in one direction. This will be the area where colonizer Ping-Pong balls are thrown into the island cups on the desk. Label six red cups from 1 - 6 with a permanent marker. Then label six blue cups in the same manner. Place the cups on the table with their top rims touching, and alternating between red and blue cups. This 12-cup set is a large island. Pour 100...
08:25
BtM, a Low-cost Open-source Datalogger to Estimate the Water Content of Nonvascular Cryptogams
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Cited by 2 •
2019
We present a simple and cost-effective method to build an open-source datalogger that measures the conductance of nonvascular cryptogams together with the environmental temperature and humidity. We describe the hardware design of the datalogger and provide step-by-step assembly instructions, the list of required open-source logging software, the code to run the datalogger, and a calibration protocol.
13:18
Data Collection on Marine Litter Ingestion in Sea Turtles and Thresholds for Good Environmental Status
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Cited by 30 •
2019
The protocol focuses on the collection of sea turtle samples, describing all the steps from the animal recovery and necropsy to the classification and quantification of ingested marine litter. Moreover, the representative results show how to use the collected data to elaborate the possible thresholds for Good Environmental Status.
FAQs
Climate and habitat conditions help determine where a species can persist, while dispersal controls whether it can reach suitable areas. Geological change can create, remove, or separate habitats, and evolutionary history records how lineages responded over time. Considering these influences together lets biogeographers distinguish distribution patterns associated with environment from those shaped by historical movement or biological diversification.
Endemism, in which a species or lineage is restricted to a particular geographic area, can indicate a close relationship between distribution and local evolutionary history. Disjunct distributions, where related occurrences are separated geographically, may point researchers toward past dispersal or geological change as explanations. These patterns help connect present-day ranges with speciation and Earth’s changing geography.
Phylogenetic data show evolutionary relationships among organisms. When paired with geographic distributions, they help researchers evaluate whether related organisms share regions because of common history, dispersal, or later separation. This combination adds temporal and evolutionary context to maps and ecological observations, allowing biogeography to address not only where organisms occur, but also how evolutionary history contributes to present biodiversity patterns.
Researchers can combine field surveys with mapping to document where organisms occur, then use ecological models to examine how distributions relate to environmental conditions. Phylogenetic data add evolutionary context, while geological history and dispersal provide historical explanations. This workflow allows investigators to test relationships among range patterns, habitat, climate, movement, and biological history rather than relying on location records alone.
Biogeographic evidence helps conservation planning identify biodiversity hotspots and habitats that may be especially vulnerable. Mapping ranges and recognizing endemism can show where organisms have geographically restricted distributions, while ecological and historical analyses add context for interpreting those risks. The resulting spatial perspective supports attention toward places where habitat loss could threaten distinctive biological communities.
Researchers can compare present range patterns with climate and habitat relationships and analyze them with ecological models. Dispersal and geological context help frame how movement or landscape history may influence responses, while evolutionary information adds historical context. The outcome is a biologically informed basis for examining how species distributions may change across geographic space and through time.