Potential Range

the territory or water expanse where the ecological, including biocenotic, conditions are favorable for a species’ existence but where the species is or was absent because of historical reasons. For example, the natural range of the muskrat is North America, but as a result of acclimatization, it settled most of northern Eurasia. The raccoon dog, which inhabits the southern part of the Far East in the USSR, became acclimatized in the European part of the USSR after being brought there; it even penetrated into Central Europe. Therefore, before an animal is acclimatized, its potential range must be ascertained. Both the territory that the species may be able to colonize based on the suitability of the abiotic environment and the species’ biocenosis must be determined. The potential range of a species is to some extent an arbitrary zoogeographical concept worked out mainly by L. A. Zenkevich in connection with his work on acclimatization.