Objectives
The course aims to provide basic knowledge about the main geographical distribution patterns of organisms, from the global to the landscape scale, as well as the main historical processes involved in the formation and spatio-temporal evolution of these patterns. Emphasis will also be given to the application aspects of the discipline, in particular in the areas of biodiversity management and conservation in both continental and island contexts, environmental assessment, sustainable use of resources, landscape planning and public health.

Knowledge and understanding
At the end of the training, the student will acquire knowledge on animal and plant species distribution. The student will be able to analyze the pattern of species distribution, linking them to the main biogeographic and evolutionary processes involved. The student will know the distribution of the main endemic taxa at global scale.

Applied knowledge and understanding
At the end of the training, the student will be able to: analyze the classification of the biogeographical regions and the most important endemisms of these regions; recognize the main processes that determine the distribution of species; formulate sound and evidence based scientific questions.

Making judgments
At the end of the training, the student will be able to make a judgement on the evolutionary and biogeographic processes determining plant and animal species distribution.

Communication skills
The student will acquire an appropriate language in the different aspects of Biogeography and will be able to communicate the acquired knowledge.

Learning skills
The student will be able to autonomously develop a reasoning that leads to identify distribution patterns and to analyze the main processes involved.