Abstract
The large number, definition, varied application and validity of named Australian biogeographical regions reflect their ad hoc development via disparate methods or case study idiosyncracies. They do not represent a coherent system. In order to resolve these uncertainties an Australian Bioregionalisation Atlas is proposed as a provisional hierarchical classification, accounting for all known named areas. This provisional area taxonomy includes a diagnosis, description, type locality and map for each named area within the Australian continent, as well as a first-ever area synonymy. Akin to biological clas-sifications, this Atlas seeks to provision universality, objectivity and stability, such that biogeographers, macroecologists and geographers, can test existing areas as well as proposing novel areas. With such a formalised and comparative system in place, practitioners can analyse the definition and relationships of biotic areas, and putatively minimise ad hoc expla-nations.
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