Canada Biogeography is the study of the spatial distribution of lifeforms. Biogeographers strive to understand the various processes which cause these distribution patterns to develop and change over time. The answer to this question is often very complex, and Biogeography is a very broad field of study. Biogeographers seek answers by studying the relationships between lifeforms and the supply or scarcity of critical elements in the surrounding physical environment. Energy, nutrients, water and space are the most crucial.
Plants accumulate energy through photosynthesis.
This energy is then passed from one trophic level to another as a food chain or food web. Nutrients, by contrast, tend to cycle rather than flow-through. Speciation, adaptation, dispersal, and extinction are among the more important processes. The results are demonstrated in patterns of distribution, population dynamics, ecological stategies, niches, and community ecology . These processes and results are demonstrated by reference to the tropical rainforests, the Canadian Arctic, and the East African steppes.