生物地理学は動植物の分布およびそれに関連する諸問題を扱う自然科学の一分野です。多種多様な生物が示す千変万化の圧倒的なパターンは、系統だった地理的文脈の中で捉える必要があります。特定の生物種が何処で発生したのか、地理的勾配でどう異なるか、祖先はどこで発生したか、どのように生息域を広げたかを知ることは、多様な生物の保護戦略を考える上でも不可欠です。生物地理学の進展と歴史、根本的理念、原理、手段、そしてこの分野がもたらす貴重な見識について解説します。
　　

• Explains how our ability to place life in an explicit geographic context is key to understanding the natural world
• Shows how the tools of biogeography are essential for us to develop effective strategies for conserving the great menagerie of life across our planet
• Explains how the geological and evolutionary history of our planet are interconnected

   
Biogeography is the study of geographic variation in all characteristics of life - ranging from genetic, morphological and behavioural variation among regional populations of a species, to geographic trends in diversity of entire communities across our planet's sufrace. From the ancient hunters and gatherers to the earliest naturalists, Charles Darwin, Alfred Russel Wallace, and scientists today, the search for patterns in life has provided insights that proved invaluable for understanding the natural world. And many, if not most, of the compelling kaleidoscope of patterns in biological diversity make little sense unless placed in an explicit geographic context.
    
The Very Short Introduction explains the historical development of the field of biogeography, its fundamental tenets, principles and tools, and the invaluable insights it provides for understanding the diversity of life in the natural world. As Mark Lomolino shows, key questions such as where species occur, how they vary from place to place, where their ancestors occurred, and how they spread across the globe, are essential for us to develop effective strategies for conserving the great menagerie of life across our planet.