ecogeography

Ecogeography is an interdisciplinary field that studies the geographic distribution of organisms and ecosystems in relation to environmental factors and spatial processes. It combines geography and ecology to explain how climate, soils, topography, hydrology, and land use shape patterns of biodiversity, species ranges, and ecosystem characteristics across space and time. Researchers consider spatial variation at multiple scales, from local microhabitats to continental gradients, and account for historical processes such as dispersal as well as contemporary drivers such as habitat fragmentation and urban development.

Methodologically, ecogeographers use geographic information systems, remote sensing, and spatial statistics to map environmental gradients and analyze their associations with biological patterns. They employ species distribution models and ecological niche modeling to predict where species or communities may occur, and to project changes under future climate or land-use scenarios. The field emphasizes scale, heterogeneity, and the interaction of abiotic and biotic factors, as well as the role of barriers to movement and landscape connectivity.

Applications include biodiversity conservation planning, habitat assessment, reserve design, invasive species risk assessment, climate change vulnerability analysis, and natural resource management. Ecogeography also informs biogeographic theories by testing relationships between geography, climate, and life-form distributions. Challenges include limited data at fine scales, varying data quality, scale mismatches, and the dynamic nature of landscapes influenced by ongoing environmental changes.