Biogeografiske

Biogeografiske, or biogeography, is the study of the spatial distribution of organisms across the Earth and through time. It seeks to explain where species occur, why they occur there, and how historical and contemporary processes shape their ranges.

The field encompasses historical biogeography, which links distribution patterns to geological events such as continental drift and climate change, and contemporary biogeography, which focuses on current distributions, ecological niches, and the mechanisms of dispersal and extinction.

Biogeographical frameworks include biogeographical realms and regions, as well as island biogeography theory, which explores how island size and isolation influence species richness.

Methods used in biogeografiske work include mapping species' ranges, compiling occurrence records, genetic and phylogeographic analyses, and ecological niche modeling with geographic information systems and climate data.

Key processes are dispersal, vicariance, extinction, and environmental change, operating together with habitat connectivity and human activity to shape present-day patterns of biodiversity.

Applications of biogeografiske knowledge include conservation planning, the design of protected areas, and forecasting biodiversity responses to climate change, invasive species, and land-use change.

The field has roots in early natural history, with figures such as Humboldt, Wallace, and Lyell contributing to its foundations, and it was advanced in the twentieth century by researchers MacArthur, Wilson, and others.