biogeographic realm
Let an agent explain biogeographic realms and their basis, relay the major terrestrial and marine schemes from biogeographic sources, describe their use in conservation, and distinguish realms from biomes and ecoregions.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify
Researched by: Claude
Purpose and description
Let an agent explain biogeographic realms and their basis, relay the major terrestrial and marine schemes from biogeographic sources, describe their use in conservation, and distinguish realms from biomes and ecoregions.
The largest division of the biosphere in biogeography, a region of the Earth surface whose plants and animals share a common evolutionary history because of long isolation by oceans, deserts or mountains, with terrestrial realms such as the Palearctic, Nearctic, Neotropical, Afrotropical, Indomalayan, Australasian, Oceanian and Antarctic, marine realms defined by schemes such as the Marine Ecoregions of the World and the Costello 2017 marine biogeography realms, and national schemes such as the ecozones of Canada; realms are subdivided into bioregions and ecoregions.
What it is for: Not applicable; a classification of regions.
It can be explain the concept; relay terrestrial and marine schemes; describe conservation use; distinguish from biomes and ecoregions.
Distinguishing features
Evolutionary history basis
Continental scale
Terrestrial and marine schemes
Hierarchical subdivision
What it looks like
Not a visible object; coloured regions on a world map.
Physical character
terrestrial realms: 8 count - WWF scheme
MEOW marine realms: 12 count - Spalding et al. 2007
Costello 2017 marine realms: 30 count
How it is recognised
Largest biogeographic division of the biosphere
Eight terrestrial realms; MEOW and Costello marine realms; national ecozones
Biomes are defined by climate and vegetation; ecoregions are finer units
Related models
is a kind of - in registry terms
is subdivided into - and bioregions
is contrasted with - defined by climate and vegetation
was pioneered by - in 1876
In practice
Families and kinds
terrestrial realms: Palearctic, Nearctic, Neotropical, Afrotropical, Indomalayan, Australasian, Oceanian, Antarctic
marine realms of the MEOW scheme
Costello 2017 marine realms, realm clusters and pelagic realms
national schemes such as the ecozones of Canada
historical schemes such as Wallace regions
Standards and regulation
WWF and IUCN biogeographic classifications used in conservation planning
No legal regulation of the concept
Failure modes and hazards
Confusing realms with biomes
Mixing incompatible schemes
Treating boundaries as sharp
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.
Understand What a biogeographic realm is.
Science.
Definition
Definition.
Definition
Definition.
- What is a biogeographic realm, and why do realms reflect evolutionary history? definition
- Is the question about realms, biomes, ecoregions or a national scheme? boundary
Terrestrial
Terrestrial realms.
Terrestrial
Terrestrial.
- What are the eight terrestrial realms, and what characterises each? definition
- Which entry fits the specific realm? action
Marine Marine realms.
Science.
MEOW
Marine Ecoregions of the World.
MEOW
MEOW.
- How does the MEOW scheme divide coastal seas into realms, provinces and ecoregions? provenance
- Which references are standard? provenance
Costello
Costello 2017 scheme.
Costello
Costello.
- How do the Costello 2017 realms, clusters and pelagic realms differ from MEOW? provenance
- Which entry fits the specific scheme? action
Apply Applications.
Practice.
Conservation
Conservation.
Conservation
Conservation.
- How are realms and ecoregions used in conservation priority setting? provenance
- Which sources are cited? provenance
National
National schemes.
National
National.
- How do national schemes such as the ecozones of Canada relate to global realms? provenance
- Which entry fits ecozones of Canada? action
Context History and change.
Context.
History
History.
History
History.
- How did Sclater and Wallace define the zoogeographic regions, and how have schemes evolved? provenance
- Which entry fits the history of biogeography? action
Change
Change.
Change
Change.
- How do plate tectonics, climate change and species introductions blur realm boundaries? provenance
- Which entry fits biotic homogenisation? action
What the second pass must settle
- Should the individual realms be separate entries?
- How should classification sources be linked?
- The registry entry has merged aliases naming marine schemes and a national scheme; should they be split off?