Biogeography

Biogeography, often referred to as macroecology, is an ecological sub-discipline at the intersection of geography, focusing on large-scale species distribution patterns (Nentwig et al. 2011). It seeks to understand where and why certain species occur, how and why new species arise while others go extinct, and what processes and causes determine the spatial distribution of biodiversity on Earth. Biogeography is thus one of the most crucial sub-disciplines of ecology for nature conservation, and by extension, for Natura 2000 managers. It provides the necessary knowledge to assess and evaluate current species distributions in terms of their threat and rarity. It addresses questions such as:

• Is a species naturally rare, or is it, for example, endangered and becoming rarer due to human activity?
• What processes have led to its current distribution?
• How and where does biodiversity emerge?

Sources

Nentwig, W., Bacher S., Brandl, R. (2017): Ökologie – kompakt. 4. Aufl. Springer Spektrum, Heidelberg.