Biogeography is a science that studies geography and biology at the same time. In its composition, it has several sections. One of these is zoogeography. What kind of science is this and what does it do? Let's talk about this in this article.
What is zoogeography? Definition
From Greek zoon is translated as "animal". Zoogeography is a science that studies the patterns of distribution of various animals on Earth.
Why do these or other animals occupy this particular location? Why is this area the best for certain species? Zoogeography can give answers to these and many other questions.
About the habitat
The habitat is the place of distribution of any animal taxon. It can be, for example, a class or a view. The area is characterized by the same spectrum of environmental conditions over a fairly vast territory. In some species, the continuous range, and in many it is disjunctive, that is, it has gaps, is not integral. There are many reasons for such gaps. One of them is the ice age, when part of the northern forms penetrated south and vice versa. Broken areas are of various kinds. For example, dissected. Such an area is characteristic of relict taxa. The relict habitat is constantly decreasing, since, due to the catastrophic disappearance, the taxon loses its ability to renew. Back to the question, what does zoogeography study?
Zoogeography. Objects of study
The main objects of study of this science are the fauna and the above-mentioned area - the habitat of a particular taxon. The fauna is called the animal world. At the same time, they distinguish both small fauna in a small territory, for example, one area, and large fauna. The latter includes the fauna of the globe. We will understand this with examples.
If you look at the fauna of various climatic zones, it becomes immediately clear that certain animal species live on the territory with suitable conditions. Some species live in the deciduous forest zone, others in the desert zone, and others in the ocean. And most importantly, they are all completely different. As already mentioned, this is due to environmental conditions, especially climate and vegetation. Nevertheless, it cannot be argued that this is the only reason.
Take South America and Africa. Different species live on both continents in the tropical rainforest zone, although the climate and plants are very similar. Here you need to delve into history. The continents of the globe did not form simultaneously and under the same conditions, respectively, the animal world was formed in a similar way. Fauna, developing in isolation for a long period of time, acquire fundamental changes. It happens and vice versa. If between two parts of the Earth, located at a great distance from each other, there is a certain connection and the exchange of animals is possible, then faunas are formed in different parts of the planet, but with a similar type of animal world.
Therefore, it turns out that the distribution of animals in different habitats depends not only on environmental conditions, but also on past eras, the development of the earth's crust. Today, when a person has a huge impact on nature, the world of fauna does not remain untouched. The anthropogenic factor greatly affects the distribution of animals around the globe. Changes in the animal kingdom can lead to negative consequences. For example, the disappearance of a certain species. Man himself must control his activities so that there is no negative impact. To do this, he needs to study zoography.
What is zoogeography in biology?
Zoography is the distribution of animals on our planet. This science has several directions for research.
The first is to obtain data on the distribution of animals on Earth. The second is the study of the fauna of the globe, their similarities and differences. Third are the patterns of distribution of animals on the planet. At the same time, it is necessary to study the evolution of animals.
Science Objectives
As a result of this, zoogeography has clear objectives. Firstly, the study of habitats and the population, secondly, the causes and patterns of the resettlement of animals in different habitats, thirdly, the influence of natural and human factors on the formation of fauna. But these are not all tasks.
Zoogeography is a science that not only studies the distribution of animals around the globe, but also predicts changes in the world of fauna. This is necessary in order to prevent any unwanted processes, for example, the complete disappearance of rare animals.
The importance of science
From all this we can conclude that zoogeography is the most important science that has developed and will continue to develop. Its study is necessary, first and foremost, for humanity and the national economy. The science of zoogeography is designed to predict all possible changes in the large world of fauna and to prevent negative consequences.