Exploring how birds have evolved in response to landscape and climate change The field of phylogeography uses genetic data to explore how Earth and life evolve together. A species’ range can be fragmented by landscape changes, or a population can be forced to move as climate shifts its niche. These changes leave footprints in the species’ or population’s DNA. By looking at the DNA of multiple species or populations that occupy the same habitats, we can begin to reveal how these environmental changes affected individual populations, species, and ultimately entire biotic communities.