Final answer:
Biogeography focuses on how abiotic factors like temperature and rainfall influence the distribution of species on land. These factors, varying with latitude and elevation, determine the plant and animal life within different terrestrial biomes. The interaction of abiotic and biotic components establishes the conditions of a biome and is key to understanding biodiversity.
Step-by-step explanation:
Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities often vary in a regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, isolation and habitat area. Abiotic factors such as temperature, rainfall, and soil quality are major influences on the distribution of terrestrial biomes, which can be observed through the varying plant and animal life that thrives in different climates and locations.
For example, different levels of net primary productivity, a measure of biomass produced, along with the amount of available energy, water, and inorganic nutrients, limit the distribution of organisms within terrestrial systems. Temperature and water availability, which vary by latitude and elevation, are pivotal in creating the conditions for different biomes such as tropical wet forests near the equator and deserts at approximately 30 degrees latitude north. These abiotic gradients are consistent with patterns seen in terrestrial biomes globally.
Moreover, these factors collectively affect other essential abiotic aspects like soil quality, which in turn affects plant migration, establishment, and the type of animal species attracted to a habitat. The interaction between these abiotic and biotic factors defines an ecosystem, offering insight into its biodiversity and health.