biogeography

[ bahy-oh-jee-og-ruh-fee ]

nounEcology.
  1. the study of the geographical distribution of living things.

Origin of biogeography

1
First recorded in 1890–95; bio- + geography

Other words from biogeography

  • bi·o·ge·og·ra·pher, noun
  • bi·o·ge·o·graph·ic [bahy-oh-jee-uh-graf-ik], /ˌbaɪ oʊˌdʒi əˈgræf ɪk/, bi·o·ge·o·graph·i·cal, adjective
  • bi·o·ge·o·graph·i·cal·ly, adverb

Words Nearby biogeography

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use biogeography in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for biogeography

biogeography

/ (ˌbaɪəʊdʒɪˈɒɡrəfɪ) /


noun
  1. the branch of biology concerned with the geographical distribution of plants and animals

Derived forms of biogeography

  • biogeographical (ˌbaɪəʊˌdʒɪəˈɡræfɪkəl), adjective
  • biogeographically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for biogeography

biogeography

[ bī′ō-jē-ŏgrə-fē ]


  1. The scientific study of the geographic distribution of plant and animal life. Factors affecting distribution include the geologic history of a region, its climate and soil composition, and the presence or absence of natural barriers like deserts, oceans, and mountains. Biotic factors such as interactions among competing species, coevolutionary influences, and the reproductive and nutritional requirements of populations and species are also studied.♦ A biogeographic region is a large, generally continuous division of the Earth's surface having a distinctive biotic community. Biogeographic regions are usually defined separately for floral and faunal communities and are largely restricted to the terrestrial areas of the Earth.

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