biogeography

[ bahy-oh-jee-og-ruh-fee ]

noun

, Ecology.

1. the study of the geographical distribution of living things.

biogeography

/ ˌbaɪəʊdʒɪˈɒɡrəfɪ; ˌbaɪəʊˌdʒɪəˈɡræfɪkəl /

noun

1. the branch of biology concerned with the geographical distribution of plants and animals

biogeography

/ bī′ō-jē-ŏg′rə-fē /

1. The scientific study of the geographic distribution of plant and animal life. Factors affecting distribution include the geologic history of a region, its climate and soil composition, and the presence or absence of natural barriers like deserts, oceans, and mountains. Biotic factors such as interactions among competing species, coevolutionary influences, and the reproductive and nutritional requirements of populations and species are also studied.
2. ◆ A biogeographic region is a large, generally continuous division of the Earth's surface having a distinctive biotic community. Biogeographic regions are usually defined separately for floral and faunal communities and are largely restricted to the terrestrial areas of the Earth.

Derived Forms

• ˌbioˌgeoˈgraphically, adverb
• biogeographical, adjective

Other Words From

• bio·ge·ogra·pher noun
• bi·o·ge·o·graph·ic [bahy-oh-jee-, uh, -, graf, -ik], bio·geo·graphi·cal adjective
• bio·geo·graphi·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of biogeography¹

First recorded in 1890–95; bio- + geography

Example Sentences

Among other achievements, the researchers have discovered many new strains and described their distribution and functional biogeography in the world's oceans for the first time.

From Science Daily

"I saw a lot of opportunity in them as a model system for investigating biogeography," Bernstein said.

From Science Daily

This research was part of his doctoral dissertation at Brown University with Dov Sax, a professor of biogeography and biodiversity and coauthor on the paper.

From Science Daily

In other words, they wanted to understand how the broccoli sprout diet affected microbial biogeography in the Crohn's models, since they cannot study this in humans.

From Science Daily

“It was a phenomenon that while classically invoked in ecology and biology and biogeography, we never really expect to see in a human lifetime.”

From Seattle Times