fauny

Fauny is a term used in Polish and some other languages to denote the animal life of a particular geographic area, ecosystem, or historical period. The English equivalent is fauna. The fauny of a region encompasses all animal species present there, from large mammals to microscopic invertebrates, spanning terrestrial, freshwater, and marine environments. It is distinguished from flora, which covers plants. The composition of fauny is shaped by climate, geography, habitat diversity, evolutionary history, and human influence. Investigations of fauny involve faunal surveys and inventories, distribution mapping, and studies of abundance, endemism, and migratory patterns. Taxonomic groups typically included are mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates, though the relative importance of groups varies by region.

Biogeography uses fauny to define faunal regions and study patterns of diversity and turnover over space and time. Methods include field observation, trapping, camera trapping, acoustic monitoring, and molecular techniques such as DNA barcoding for species identification. Knowledge of fauny informs conservation planning, biodiversity assessments, invasive species management, and ecological restoration. The term fauny is most common in certain languages; in English, fauna is standard, and some writers may use "fauny" when referring to the animal life of multiple regions or periods.

See also fauna, flora, biodiversity, ecosystem, conservation.