The composition of plant and animal communities change as abiotic factors, which include temperature and altitude, start to vary.
Some species exist only in specific geographical areas while others can thrive in a variety of areas; however, no single species can be found everywhere in the world.
Studying an area where a species is not found is also of importance to ecologists in determining unique patterns of species distribution.
As with animals, plant species can also be either endemic, usually found in isolated land masses, or generalists, found in many regions.
Key Terms
biogeography: the study of the geographical distribution of living things
generalist: species which can thrive in a wide variety of environmental conditions
endemic: unique to a particular area or region; not found in other places
