Abstract
The famous hypothesis formulated by Beijerinck and Baas Becking, ‘Everything is everywhere, [but] the environment selects’, has dominated microbiological research and directed it towards the search of ecological factors as the main determinants of microbial community composition. The apparent lack of geographic distribution patterns in microorganisms (ubiquity) is traditionally explained by their adaptive (physiological) flexibility and ease of dispersal. Strong disproof of yeast ubiquity comes from studies on yeasts associated with beetles, drosophilids, bees, and short-lived flowers. The current knowledge suggests that geographical barriers, insect vectors, and host plants are important factors determining distribution of yeasts in their natural habitats. This chapter provides examples of the larger-scale distribution of yeasts in the environment, including endemism, latitudinal gradients, distance-decay relationships, and Holarctic and bipolar distributions. The influence of geographic factors on reproductive isolation in yeast populations is additionally addressed in this chapter. Temporal changes such as ecological successions and seasonal dynamics of yeast communities are also discussed.
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