Spatial distribution of species and higher taxa across geography and geological time. Bridge between ecology, evolution, and geology; informs conservation prioritisation and invasion risk.
biogeography
Wallace line
Sharp faunal boundary separating Asian from Australasian mammalian faunas between Bali/Lombok and Borneo/Sulawesi (Wallace 1859). Reflects…
Island biogeography (MacArthur–Wilson)
Equilibrium species richness on an island balances immigration (decreasing with distance from source) against extinction (decreasing with…
Endemism
Taxon restricted to a particular geographic area (island, mountain, basin). High-endemism hotspots (Madagascar, New Zealand, Caucasus, Horn…
Dispersal vs vicariance
Two explanations for disjunct distributions: dispersal (crossing pre-existing barriers), vicariance (barrier arises through an intact…
Latitudinal diversity gradient
Species richness peaks at low latitudes and declines poleward for most taxa. Leading hypotheses: greater energy/productivity, evolutionary…
Biogeographic realm
Continental-scale faunal region: Palearctic, Nearctic, Neotropical, Afrotropical, Indomalayan, Australasian, Oceanian, Antarctic (Udvardy…
Climate-driven range shift
Species tracking their climatic niche as global temperatures rise: poleward (~17 km/decade) and upward (~11 m/decade) median shifts.…