What is an ecozone?
Q: What is an ecozone?
A: An ecozone, also known as a biogeographic realm, is the largest scale division of the Earth's surface based on the historic and evolutionary distribution of plants and animals.
Q: How are ecozones different from biomes?
A: Ecozones are distinct from biomes which are divisions of the earth's surface based on life form or adaptation to climatic, soil, and other conditions. Biomes are characterized by similar climax vegetation regardless of the evolutionary lineage of specific plants and animals.
Q: What factors influence ecozone patterns?
A: The patterns of plant and animal distribution in the world's ecozones were shaped by plate tectonics which has redistributed land masses over geological history.
Q: How does J. Schultz use the term "ecozone"?
A: J. Schultz uses the term "ecozone" to refer to his classification system of biomes.
Q: What barriers can separate one ecozone from another?
A: Ecozones can be separated from one another by geologic features such as oceans, broad deserts, or high mountain ranges that formed barriers to plant and animal migration.
Q: Are all plants and animals within an ecozone related evolutionarily?
A: No, while each ecozone may include a number of different biomes with similar vegetation types they can be inhabited by plants and animals with very different evolutionary histories.
Q: Are there other terms used for biogeographic realms?
A: Yes, other terms including kingdom, realm, and region are used by other authorities with the same meaning as an ecozone or biogeographic realm.
