Biogeography

Introduction;
Aims and methods of Biogeography, connections with other sciences; history of Biogeography
The physical factors:
Climate, soils
Biomes
Aquatic environments, oceanic circulation
Historical patterns and process
the geological time scale, paleomagnetism, Earth's tectonic history
glaciations and biogeographic dynamics of Pleistocene
Distribution:
Species, speciation and extinction
population distribution, barriers, dispersion competition
endemism, provincialism and disjunction, climate relicts and vicariance
Zoogeographic and phytogeographic regions:
phytogeographic regions
zoogeographic regions
biogeography of mammals
biogeography of angiosperms
Island biogeography:
island types, theory of equilibrium, turn over
archipelagos and speciation, characteristic of insular flora and fauna
anthropic disturbance, applications of the island theory
Marine biogeography
Italian Biogeography.
Italian region throughout the Cenozoic
chorological categories in Italy
zoological Italian provinces, Italian mammals, Italian amphibians


Materials
Slides
Biogeografia, M. Zunino e A Zullini Casa Editrice Ambrosiana
Biogeography, Cox and Moore, Blackwell Scientific Publications


Prerequisites and exam evaluation
Good knowledge of written English
Oral examination


Teaching methods
Traditional lessons with projection of slides. All material will be made available online.


Language of instruction
Italian