Biogeography Introduction to Space, Time, and Life

About this book

Introduce students to the diversity embraced by the discipline of biogeography, revised and updated throughout.

Biogeography: Space, Time, and Life provides a comprehensive introduction to the study of large-scale geographic distributions of life, focusing on ecology, evolution, physical geography and conservation. Now in its second edition, this award-winning textbook illustrates key concepts in biogeography using engaging empirical examples of modern plant and animal distributions, long-term evolutionary history and current conservation challenges.

With an accessible style and clear structure, Biogeography defines fundamental terms from biology and physical geography, describes ecological biogeography and the biological features of the physical environment, explains key concepts in historical biogeography, explores the Earth’s diverse biogeographic subdivisions, current issues in conservation and more. Student-friendly chapters cover topics including biological interactions, speciation and extinction, changing continents and climates, human evolution, modern biodiversity, the relationship between humans and plants, animals and other organisms, and the role of biogeography in conservation.

- Introduces basic concepts in the study of animal and vegetation distributions, including various human and environmental impacts on these distributions
- Examines how biological factors such as heat and predation impact different species of plants and animals
- Features short biographical sketches of major figures in the field and examples of the natural histories of various species
- Considers the application of biogeographic theory and techniques for the benefit of conservation and sustainability
-  Includes a companion website for students, as well as an instructor’s site with supplementary teaching resources

Designed for students across a wide range of disciplines, from the biological and physical sciences to the social sciences and humanities, Biogeography: Space, Time, and Life is an excellent textbook for undergraduate courses in biogeography, Earth systems science, and environmental studies.

Contents

Preface to the 2nd Edition   vii
About the Companion Website   ix

Chapter 1. An Introduction   1

Part I: Space and Life
Chapter 2. Some Basics   9
Chapter 3. The Physical Environment and the Distribution of Life   37
Chapter 4. Biological Interactions and the Distribution of Life   66
Chapter 5. Disturbance   85
Chapter 6. Communities, Formations, and Biomes   121

Part II: Time and Life
Chapter 7. Changing Continents and Climates   179
Chapter 8. Dispersal, Colonization, and Invasion   215
Chapter 9. Evolution, Speciation, and Extinction   251
Chapter 10. Realms, Regions, Kingdoms, and Provinces: the Biogeographic Subdivisions of the Earth   289
Chapter 11. Biogeography and Human Evolution   312
Chapter 12. Humans as a Force in Evolution and Extinction   340

Part III: Theory and Practice
Chapter 13. Description and Interpretation of Biogeographic Distributions   371
Chapter 14. The Geography of Biological Diversity   399
Chapter 15. Biogeography and the Conservation Challenges Of the Anthropocene   443

Final Reflections   483
Glossary of Key Words and Terms   493
Index   501

Customer Reviews

Biography

Glen M. MacDonald is Distinguished Professor, Endowed Chair of California and the American West in Geography, Director of the UC White Mountain Research Center, and Chair of UCLA Canadian Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He has published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles, authored Op-Ed pieces for the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Sacramento Bee, and received numerous research and teaching awards.