The Ecology Book

206

THE SYSTEM

OF NATURE

BIOMES

D

ifferent parts of the world

have varying patterns of

plant and animal life, but

there are usually similarities over

vast areas. These are called biomes,

and each one is a large geographical

region with its own distinctive

plant and animal community and

ecosystem. The idea of the biome

was first popularized by plant

ecologist Frederic Clements and

zoologist Victor Shelford in the US,

in their key book Bioecology (1939),

although its origins date back earlier.

The biome concept took shape

as ideas on plant succession and

community ecology developed.

Clements identified “formations,”

large plant communities, which led

IN CONTEXT

KEY FIGURES

Frederic Clements

(1874 –1945),

Victor Shelford (1877–1968)

BEFORE

1793 Alexander von Humboldt

coins the word “association”

to sum up the mix of plant

types that occurs in a

particular habitat.

1866 Ernst Haeckel poses

the idea of the biotope, the

living space for a range of

plants and animals.

AFTER

1966 Leslie Holdridge

champions the idea of life

zones based on the biological

effects of temperature and

rainfall variations.

1973 German–Russian

botanist Heinrich Walter

creates a biome system that

considers seasonal variations.

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