chapter 1 (intro)

Question 1

biogeography

Answer 1

science that attempts to document and understand spacial and temporal patterns of biological diversity
- distribution of organisms & geographic variation (and history)
- processes that drive life
- observational science of natural history

Question 2

biotas

Answer 2

assemblages of plants/animals/microbes
- all life in similar regions
- ex: tropical rainforests

Question 3

biotic composition

Answer 3

living matter

Question 4

abiotic

Answer 4

nonliving
- climate, soil, water

Question 5

pattern

Answer 5

nonrandom, repetitive variation of elements
- ex: organisms, species, populations

Question 6

uniformitarianism

Answer 6

assumption that physical and biological processes today were the same throughout time

Question 7

actualism

Answer 7

assumption that processes and forces are the same throughout time (same mechanisms) but vary in rates/importance/impact throughout time

Question 8

consilience

Answer 8

info from unrelated fields interest for greater scientific meaning/conclusions

Question 9

mercator map

Answer 9

1569; 2-D map
- distorted

Question 10

biodiversity

Answer 10

variability of all life
- generally at species level
- how and why variation?

Question 11

biome

Answer 11

similarly distinguished environments
- patterns (units or gradients)
and
- processes (causation/mechanistic drivers)

Question 12

4 themes in biogeography

Answer 12

1. classify regions (biotas)
2. construct lineage (history)
3. identify differences in patterns
4. explain in geo differences