ABSTRACT
Chapter 31 makes the case for using geographic range, the range of a species, the fundamental unit of study, not only in biogeography but also in community ecology and even for some applications in ecosystem ecology. The subsections of contemporary biogeography are reviewed (ecography, species hotspots, the study of porosity, and areography). Rapoport’s rule is reviewed: geographic range size tends to increase with latitude. Building on the constraint hierarchy in Chapter 9, concepts are updated to reflect the use of landscape ecology and remote sensing and other techniques. Reviewed are the topics of expansion of the niche concept to apply to geographic range, use of metapopulation theory at regional spatial scales, and what we now appreciate about all biotic interactions, not just competition, as important for local spatial scales. The chapter ends with possible directions for the future of biogeography.
