Biogeographic patterns: a perceptual overview

Abstract

To understand biogeographical patterns one must first ask questions about the nature of patterns themselves. This in turn requires a consideration of the aims, approaches and methods of biogeography. The need for such a discussion reflects the fact that biogeography lacks cohesion and consistency (Chapter 1). There is too little sound knowledge of biogeographical processes, reflected by disparity about what can be assumed or should be investigated, a lack of integrated models of the biogeographical system and little recognition of process levels within such a system. These problems have been present in biogeography for a long time but more recently the subject has been shaken by outright controversy, and even unpleasant disagreement and bitterness about approaches and methods (e.g. some of the contributions in the volume edited by Nelson and Rosen, 1981; and see Ferris, 1980 for an interesting summary of this meeting). This controversy may well testify to the healthiness of the subject (Brown and Gibson, 1983), but more promisingly, it may presage major changes:

“The proliferation of competing articulations, the willingness to try anything, the expression of explicit discontent, the recourse to philosophy and to debate over fundamentals, all these are symptoms of a transition from normal to extraordinary research.” (Kuhn, 1970, p. 91).

What will emerge in biogeography when the dust settles?