BIOGEOGRAPHY

Monday, July 25, 2011

BIOGEOGRAPHY

Dr. Edmar Bernardes DaSilva (Masters in Geography and Doctor of Geography Education)

Water fall in Brazil

Biogeography is the science, which aims to study and comprehend the geographic distribution of diverse biomes of the earth. So, biogeography studies the distribution of organisms from the ancient earth to the present-day earth, and analyzes the connected prototypes of variations of living things. Biogeographers study where all species are located, why they are there, and where the greatest concentrations of species are. The study of biogeography is the answer of questions important for the Earth’s biogeographical knowledge and preservation. Answering questions like: Do we feed ourselves with these species? Do they give us shelter? Do they produce medications that help cure diseases? Do they produce oxygen, provide fuel and filter the water we drink? The climate change that is producing global warming makes it even more important to understand the enormous diversity of the Earth’s fauna and flora in order to understand the impact of environmental changes on terrestrial biogeography.

Biogeography tries to examine a variety of concepts of species’ spatial distribution and profusion (why they are there and what they do to the environment).

Canadian Fauna

A major concept studied in biogeography in these days is the ‘centers of endemism’. This kind of study gives us answers about why are species limited to a geography niche, and where this geographical niche is located. Biogeographers are mapping those biogeographical regions both on global and regional scales. Finally, endemism happens when species or other taxonomic groups are limited to a specific biogeographical region due to aspects like separation or response to soil or climate circumstances.

Professor Harm de Blij

Dutch geographer and author. Professor de Blij left a legacy to be followed by us younger geographers. His regional divisions of the Earth in my view is the closest to reality (and I love his micro-regional divisions) with exceptions (some flaws can be found in his publications). Great geographer and also a great researcher. Professor de Blij wanted to meet me personally, but I never had the honor to meet him personally. Professor de Blij exchanged e-mails with me and also included my name in two editions of his books The World Today and Regions. I also had the honor to receive from him a copy of his book Why Geography Matters with his personal dedication to me with his signature and date. Professor de Blij did an extensive study of the wine regions of the Southern Hemisphere and Brazil my homeland was part of it which became a book (I own this book). Professor de Blij wrote me in a personal e-mail that he was six month in South America doing the research on wine regions of South America.