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Editions to Lead Section of Biogeography
The short-term interactions within a habitat and species of organisms describe the ecological application of biogeography. Historical biogeography describes the long-term, evolutionary periods of time for broader classifications of organisms. Early scientists, beginning with Carl Linnaeus, contributed theories to the contributions of the development of biogeography as a science. Beginning in the mid-18th century, Europeans explored the world and discovered the biodiversity of life. Linnaeus initiated the ways to classify organisms through his exploration of undiscovered territories. Closely after Linnaeus, George Louis Buffon observed shifts in climate and how species spread across the globe as a result. Buffon believed there was a single species creation event, and that different regions of the world were homes for varying species, which is an alternate view than that of Linnaeus. At the end of the 18th century, Alexander Von Humboldt developed the concept of physique generale to demonstrate the unity of science and how species fit together. As one of the first to contribute empirical data to the science of biogeography through his travel as an explorer, he observed differences in climate and vegetation.

In the 19th century, several additional scientists contributed new theories to further develop the concept of biogeography. Charles Lyell, being one of the first contributors in the 19th century, developed the theory of uniformitarianism after studying fossils. Charles Darwin was a natural theologist who studied around the world but most importantly in the Galapagos Islands. Alfred Russel Wallace was commonly known as the father of biogeography, as he studied the influence of organism behaviors in varying species.

Alfred Wegener introduced the Theory of Continental Drift in 1912, which describes the distribution of organisms and landmass around the globe. Robert MacArthur and Edward O. Wilson used the Theory of Island Biogeography to describe how large islands have greater biodiversity than smaller islands.

Current applications of biogeography imply the significance of the science in the modern world. Technological advances have allowed satellite imaging and processing of Planet Earth. Current scientists also use coral reefs to delve into the history of biogeography through the fossilized reefs. GIS, or General Information Sensing, can show certain processes on the Earth’s surface like whale locations, sea surface temperatures, and bathymetry.

Eak016 (talk) 15:02, 31 March 2014 (UTC)Emily Kookogey