Throughout our history, humans have been fascinated with the geography of biological diversity – where particular kinds of organisms are found (or not found), and why. Biogeography is that branch of science that investigates the spatial and temporal patterns in the distribution of biodiversity. It is a highly multidisciplinary discipline that draws from fields such as geography, evolutionary biology, systematics, genetics, ecology, paleontology, geology, and climatology, and has important applications in conservation biology and human ecology. This book is intended to provide a concise introduction to the science of biogeography, including the history of its development, basic principles, and its importance in meeting today’s ecological challenges.

1. What is Biogeography?
   1. References and Further Reading
2. Biogeography – Development and History
   1. Introduction
   2. Early Biogeography
   3. Exploration and Biogeography
   4. Further Botanical Contributions
   5. How Old is the Earth?
   6. Darwin, Wallace, and Evolution
   7. Explaining Disjunctions
   8. Late 20th Century Progress
   9. References and Further Reading
3. Maps, Ranges, and Geological Changes
   1. Introduction
   2. Map Projections
   3. Geographic Ranges and Range Maps
   4. The Dynamic Earth
   5. References and Further Reading
4. Evolution – Descent with Modification
   1. Introduction
   2. Early Evolutionary Thought
   3. Mechanisms of Evolution
   4. Speciation
   5. Reconstructing Evolutionary Histories
   6. References and Further Reading
5. Ecology, Biomes, and Biodiversity
   1. Introduction
   2. Hierarchy of Ecological Organization
   3. Major Biomes of the World
   4. Patterns in the Earth’s Biodiversity
   5. References and Further Reading
6. Islands and Oceans
   1. Introduction
   2. Island Formation
   3. Getting There and Surviving There
   4. Patterns of Species Richness on Islands
   5. The Marine Environment
   6. Structure of the Marine Environment
   7. References and Further Reading
7. Historical Biogeography
   1. Introduction
   2. Early Life and Biogeography of the Paleozoic Era
   3. Biogeography of the Mesozoic Era
   4. Biogeography of the Cenozoic Era
   5. References and Further Reading
8. Human Evolution and Biogeography
   1. Introduction
   2. Human Evolution
   3. Agriculture and Animal Domestication
   4. The Anthropocene
   5. Human Impacts on Other Species
   6. Anthropogenic Climate Change
   7. References and Further Reading