Growth of Biogeography in Canadian and U.S. Geography Departments∗

Abstract

During the 1970s biogeography grew in importance in geography departments in Britain, Canada, and the U.S. Because of its central position between physical and human geography, Watts [36] has called for recognition of biogeography's place at, or near, the center of future geography curricula. As shown below, growth of biogeography in the U.S. and Canada has not yet reached the level attained in Britain [cf. 36, 331; growth is continuing, relative to all American geography, and it is likely that the field will be significant in the articulation of future geography. For geographers favoring a united geography, a report on the status and trends of North American biogeography appears timely. Extensive information concerning the field of biogeography exists in the geographical literature. Beginning in 1904 [8] about 40 articles and conference papers by American geographers have been concerned with its nature and role. Some, such as Sauer's [26] caveat about MacArthur and Wilson's [I81 theory of island biogeography, and Kellman's [74, 751 articles on vegetation analysis, dealt with specific topics in the field. Others, including Clark's [7], Stuart's 1311, Bennett's [4, 51, and Davies's [9] discussions of animal geography, Raup's [24] and Kuchler's [I71 reviews of plant geography, and Vale's [34] text on human interaction with vegetation dynamics, consider larger areas. A few have covered the entire field, by defining i t s relationship to geography [76], outlining what it could include [ I O ] , and suggesting paradigms [the ecological systems approach : 37, 28, 71, 201 and research directions [28, 351. I am covering another subject, course offerings, enrollments, and graduate education, in an effort to summarize the pedagogic conditions and trends in U.S. and Canadian geography departments. The major source of my course and enrollment data, the Directory of College Geography of the United States [27, 211, consists of volunteered statistics by departments, and is not a complete or error-free census.