Biogeography: Introduction To Space, Time, And Life

Biogeography illustrates how environment, space and time interact to control the large-scale distribution of organisms. This book can be used for these courses which can be offered in either department. This title includes the key concepts related to the study of vegetation and animal distributions and the human impact on these distributions.

* Illustrative examples from recent research publications and "classic" studies are prominently featured throughout the book.
* BioGeography is treated at a global level with North American examples featured prominently to help students relate the concepts to their own lives.
* Research techniques are highlighted in "special interest" boxes. Illustrations and descriptions of research techniques are provided with examples such as fire-scars from trees used to reconstruct disturbance, fossil pollen used to reconstruct vegetation change and plant migration, transect and quadrate sampling.
* Includes the introduction of mathematical equations relating to measures of diversity, biotic similarity, and island biogeography to name a few.
* Provides coverage of basic concepts of biology-ecology, physical geography-climatology, and geology which are relevant to biogeography.
* Disturbance is treated as an important component controlling the distribution of life. The impact of natural and human disturbance is one of the most interesting topics for biogeography students.
* Includes key biogeographical theories that link space and time to the distribution of life. Some of these theories include:


* Ranges, Reflicts, Refuges, Corridors, Barriers
* Centers of Origins
* Cladistics
* Variance
* Island BioGeography
* Diversity Theory
* Gap Analysis for Conservation

“…a comprehensive and informative text that condenses the diversity embraced by the discipline and aptly represents current biogeographical thinking…” (Transactions of the IBG, Vol.29, 2004)

Preface.


1. An Introduction.


2. Some Basics.


3. Physical Environment and the Distribution of Life.


4. Biological Interactions and the Distribution of Life.


5. Disturbance and Succession.


6. Communities, Formations and Biomes.


7. Changing Continents and Climates.


8. Dispersal, Colonization and Invasion.


9. Evolution, Speciation and Extinction.


10. Realms, Regions and Provinces: The Biogeographic Subdivisions of the Earth.


11. Evolution, Extinction and the Human Story.


12. Biogeography and Modern Biodiversity.


13. Biogeography Distributions and Reconstructing of the History of Life.


14. Biogeography and Conservation.