Final answer:
Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species both in the past and in the present. It encompasses fields such as ecological biogeography, historical biogeography, and conservation biogeography.
Step-by-step explanation:
Biogeography is the study of the distribution of the world's species both in the past and in the present. The work of biogeographers is critical to understanding our physical environment, how the environment affects species, and how changes in environment impact the distribution of a species.
There are three main fields of study under biogeography: ecological biogeography, historical biogeography, and conservation biogeography. Ecological biogeography studies the current factors affecting the distribution of plants and animals, historical biogeography studies the past distribution of species, and conservation biogeography focuses on the protection and restoration of species based upon known historical and current ecological information.
Biogeographers need to understand both biology and ecology, as well as evolutionary studies, soil science, and climatology.