Final answer:
Biogeography focuses on understanding the distribution and spread of living organisms across different geographic zones, influenced by abiotic factors like temperature and rainfall. Endemic species and the ecosystem's net primary productivity are also crucial concepts in this field.
Step-by-step explanation:
Biogeography
Biogeography is the study of the geographic distribution of living things and the abiotic factors that affect their distribution. These abiotic factors include elements such as temperature, water, inorganic nutrients, and soil characteristics, which are partly determined by latitude and elevation. The adaptation of organisms to these factors and the distinct environmental conditions define the composition and distribution of various biomes across the planet. Species that are native to a particular region and found nowhere else are referred to as endemic species.
For instance, if one were to travel from the equator towards the poles, one might start in tropical wet forests, transition through seasonally dry forests, and eventually reach deserts, characterized by low precipitation and high insolation. Processes like ocean upwelling and seasonal turnovers critically influence nutrient distribution in aquatic ecosystems, affecting the biotic community that thrives there. Furthermore, net primary productivity is employed to measure the amount of biomass produced in a biome and is an essential aspect of biogeographical study.