RESEARCH FIELD

Biogeography

Biogeography studies the spatial distribution of biodiversity across time and space, asking why species occur where they do and how distributions have changed through geological and evolutionary time. Phylogeographic approaches combine molecular data with geographic information to reconstruct the historical origins and dispersal of lineages. Species distribution models now project future range shifts under climate change scenarios, informing conservation planning and biosecurity risk assessments. The field has practical urgency: as habitats fragment and climates shift, understanding biogeographic principles is essential for designing effective protected-area networks and predicting invasive species spread.