Factors That Create and Increase Endemism

Abstract

Since the term endemism was defined by De Candolle in 1820, many hypotheses have been published to explain regional endemism over time. These relate to different scientific fields and dimensions of biogeography, ecology and genetics and concern geological processes, climate history, evolution, genetic processes of population biology that promote or influence dispersal and regional extinction, and ecological determinants such as abiotic factors, ecological processes, and species interactions. We discuss the meaning of several groups of hypotheses on endemism and assume that climate constancy and effects of the species pool are important determinants which promote endemism at regional to continental scales.