There are millions of different species on Earth, each responding uniquely to the environment and to other species, and each with a distinct geographical distribution. This results in enormously complex spatial patterns in nature, from latitudinal gradients in global species richness to the patchy distribution of plants across a meadow. Documenting and understanding these patterns has occupied biogeographers and macroecologists for decades. There has been considerable progress toward a general understanding, but how should we go about trying to conserve biodiversity in the face of such complex spatial patterns?

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