Geographical zone

The term geozone (s) (including Geographical zones or Zonal model ) is used here as a generic term for all models of Bio-and Geosciences, divide the earth's surface according to various inherent features in zones. A "zone" in this context is a definable area with striking similarities of various bio-physical parameters ( in the strict sense of the definition ), like a belt extending approximately parallel to the circles of latitude around the Earth and attributed their origin in particular to similar climatic conditions is

Height steps are therefore not Geozonen, although here the dominant factor is the climate. Biogeographic models, which have no direct relation to climate (such as the floras or Faunenreich ) are also not taken into Geozonen!

Term

" Geozonal " is composed of the ancient Greek words " γη / ge " ( prefix earth) and "zone" ( to gird ). The term refers to a geographical scale levels between " global" and "regional".

The term is therefore rare and inconsistently used in science and literature. Synonyms are often Geographical zone and zonal models. The also used in various publications terms Geoecological zone, vegetation zone, Flore zone Biozone ecozone and are collectively referred to as Zonal models of biogeography and thus as the second sub-point the Geozonen subdivided (→ foundation and structure ).

( Geological Zone is a term used in geology, has no relation to the geographical zones described here!)

The aspects, is placed on the value, all models are each other; but is always a determining factor in the environment, followed by the vegetation. The plants and their typical formations particular attention comes increased attention to: Once they can detect and map out relatively easily, for others it takes a special index function of the plants on. This means that from a plant formation quite definite conclusions on other factors such as climate and soil, but also existing animals can be drawn.

Basis and structure

Climates

Due to the spherical shape of the earth, the angle of incidence of the sun's rays from the equator to the poles will always flatter. This puts the radiation energy ( mathematically calculable ) accordingly. This is the primary cause for the development of the different climates on the planet and thus the climate zones as the basis of all geozonaler models.

With the so-called climate classifications developed detailed models of climatologists who already have great similarities with the biogeographical models.

Zonal models of biogeography

The second branch of the Geozonen includes from the air and other secondary characteristics (flora, fauna, water resources, soil, etc.) derived models, the zonal models of biogeography. In part, the term " landscape area " is used as a generic term

The variety of models geozonalen

The following cards animation displays a series of 11 maps of various geozonaler models and illustrates their differences. ( Loop duration approximately 3 minutes)

History of Science

The first known reference to the zonal structure of vegetation worldwide are already found in Parmenides in the 5th century BC, the difference a burned zone and two temperate zones. In the " Geographica " of ancient Greek scholar Strabo in the 1st century BC, five zones have already been distinguished, which were derived from the spherical shape of the earth mathematically. This classification was continued until the Middle Ages. The Anglo-Saxon monk Alcuin taught this model in the early Middle Ages and in the work " Tractatus de Sphaera " the scholar Johannes de Sacrobosco from the 15th century is illustrated impressively (see Figure modified ).

The voyages of discovery and the subsequent European colonization of the world from the 16th century brought huge knowledge about the flora and fauna of the continents. This resulted in two centuries later, the first geozonalen models. The fundamentals of biogeography put Horace - Bénédict de Saussure, 1779. Alexander von Humboldt described a little later one of the first large-scale relationships of plants as an association, which he, however, does not anticipate the known in the plant sociology term, but oriented in similar growth forms (Today is calls this formation ). Augustin- de Candolle founded Pyrame 1855 Geobotany. The German botanist August Grisebach published in 1838 the basic work " On the influence of climate on the boundary of the natural flora ". In its vegetation of the Earth ( 1872) he shows ecological interrelations, which affect these formations and established the model of vegetation zones. Oscar Drude, co-founder of Plant Ecology, developed this model in the 1880s and 90s on.

Based on these approaches, which takes the outward form and structure of the vegetation as the main criterion, other authors develop the concept of a biome, which includes all living creatures of a spatial section. The structure, which dates back to Clements (1916) and Carpenter (1939 ), communities classified again according to the plant formations, but only at a more abstract, global consideration of: Decisive are large-scale plant formations that are prevalent in the respective macro-climate. 1929 takes Siegfried Passarge before a division of the earth into landscape belt.

1936 Wladimir Peter Köppen published the geographical system of climates, which is the first objective climate classification of the earth. It was then further developed by Rudolf Geiger and is still the basic reference system of the Climate Geography. In ecology, one based on common climate classification by Carl Troll and Karlheinz puffing, published 1964 and the earth's surface divides into five climate zones.

Going further towards a ecosystematic classification Carpenter (1950 ) bioregions, the ecoregions of Bailey & Hogg (1968 ) or the Zonobiome at Walter & Breckle (1983). Here, the biomes are more set on specific landscape areas in relationship and describes the mutual influence of climate, soil, vegetation and animals. Müller- Hohenstein ( 1989) uses the term geo-ecological zones. 1988 Jürgen Schultz created the model of the ecozones that an even more extensive combination of features than the previous models. Recent work usually only refine existing models through the use of satellite data.