Dispersal in plants and animals

The biogeographical patterns of ecosystems and species distributions we know today are, apart from other effects such as evolution or ecological interactions, the result of a continuous progression of spatial processes since different species emerged. These spatial processes accelerated tremendously with the advent of modern humans and their effects on species and ecosystems, such as via trade, traffic, or habitat modification. Here we discuss general aspects of the resulting spatio-temporal population dynamics and review pertinent models.