Hot spots of biodiversity

• AFAR Advisor • Art + Culture • Beaches • Cities We Love • Cruise • Destination Spotlight • Epic Trips • Family Travel • Food + Drink • Health + Wellness • Holiday Travel • In the Magazine • LGBTQ Travel • Longreads • Outdoor Adventure • Road Trips • Travel for Good • Weekend Getaways • Where to Go Next • If you’ve stood in awe beneath soaring ancient redwoods in California, ventured into a mangrove forest on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, or marveled at tree-dwelling lemurs in Madagascar, you’re lucky enough to have visited one of the world’s biodiversity hot spots. But these extraordinary places, which comprise a mere 2.5 percent of terrestrial Earth, are so much more than just beautiful destinations. They play an essential role in the survival of all forms of life—including humanity—providing everything from nutrients and clean water to the clean air that we breathe. In 1998, British scientist Norman Myers introduced the concept of biodiversity hot spots, defined as areas with at least 1,500 endemic plant species that can’t be found anywhere else on Earth and that have lost 70 percent of their vegetation—in other words, areas that are both endangered and irreplaceable. In 2000, the 25 original biodiversity hotspots were expanded to 36 by nonprofit group “[Biodiversity] hot spots are places where you can find a variety of species of flora and fauna, and they’re usually endangered or endemic species that only live in a specific area and nowhere else in the world, so they’re...

In the field of conservation, success stories about saving individual species abound. Bald eagles have recovered from their bout with the pesticide DDT; from fewer than 500 breeding pairs in 1963, the population in the lower 48 states has grown to nearly 10,000 breeding pairs, such that they are no longer listed even as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Gray wolves have returned to Yellowstone National Park, as well as to the Italian and French Alps. The California condor has been brought back from the absolute brink of extinction, after the last surviving birds were rounded up and bred in the San Diego and Los Angeles zoos. And so on. When human ingenuity and resources are trained on a particular species, usually a charismatic one, it makes a difference—but it does not change the global pattern, which is a steady drumbeat of extinction and of the permanent loss of biodiversity that goes with it. In a recent global assessment, Stuart Butchart and his colleagues at BirdLife International in England concluded that between 1994 and 2004 conservation efforts had saved 16 species of bird from extinction, at least temporarily. During that same decade, however, another 164 bird species listed as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) had slipped a notch closer to extinction. Conservationists have many priorities and many strategies. But for the past two decades, a leading priority has been to preserve as much biodiversity as possible, a...

Biodiversity hotspots are regions that are both biologically fertile (rich distribution of According to Myers 2000 edition of the hotspot-map, a region only qualifies as a According to Biodiversity, a portmanteau of “biological diversity,” generally refers to the variety and variability of life on Earth. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, biodiversity typically measures variation at the genetic, the species, and the ecosystem level. Why are Biodiversity Hotspots Important? The diversity of • Biodiversity is the building blocks of all life on earth With a myriad of diverse species, life on earth is made possible as they create an intricate system for biological interaction and a balanced ecosystem, also known as functional ecological communities. The grand species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all forms of life. Without species and a balanced ecosystem, for instance, there would be no food to eat, no diversity in genes, no air to breathe, or no water to drink. It therefore means that without biodiversity, human would equally be non-existent because biodiversity hotspots are vital for human survival. • The map of hotspots extraordinarily extends beyond the map of the natural areas that most benefit human populations Biodiversity hotspots qualify as one of the most crucial and richest ecosystems in the world as they are home to countless vulnerable See also Are Grocery Bags Recyclable? (And Are They Biodegradable?) World’s 10 Most Threatened...

Biogeographic region with significant levels of biodiversity that is threatened with destruction A biodiversity hotspot is a The Environmentalist in 1988 Nature, both in 2000. To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot on Myers' 2000 edition of the hotspot map, a region must meet two strict criteria: it must contain at least 1,500 species of Biodiversity hotspots host their diverse ecosystems on just 2.4% of the planet's surface. Hotspot conservation initiatives [ ] Only a small percentage of the total land area within biodiversity hotspots is now protected. Several international organizations are working to conserve biodiversity hotspots. • • The • • • Birdlife’s Important Bird Areas. • The • The Distribution by region [ ] A majority of biodiversity exists within the tropics; likewise, most biodiversity hotspots are within the tropics. • • • • North American The • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Critiques of "Hotspots" [ ] The high profile of the biodiversity hotspots approach has resulted in some criticism. Papers such as Kareiva & Marvier (2003) • Do not adequately represent other forms of species richness (e.g. total species richness or threatened species richness). • Do not adequately represent taxa other than vascular plants (e.g. vertebrates and fungi). • Do not protect smaller scale richness hotspots. • Do not make allowances for changing • Do not protect • Do not consider A recent series of papers has pointed out that biodiversity hotspots ...

Biodiversity Hotspots in the World– The areas serving as the richest spot for biodiversity location are termed as ‘ BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS’. The concept of Biodiversity Hotspots was given by Sir Norman Myers in the year 1988. Biodiversity Estimation of Earth BIODIVERSITY, in general terms, comprises the variability of all life forms present on the Earth including all the fauna and flora species present on the planet. To be more specific, it denotes the total species present in a specific ecosystem. All the species on Earth compete with each other for ensuring their survival while living together in the same ecosystem with each other. It has been estimated that about 8.7 million species of flora and fauna are currently in existence on the Planet Earth of which only 1.2 million species have been discovered so far and still a lot more is yet to be discovered as many of the Earth’s rich biodiversity areas are still unexplored. These places serve as the plethora of fauna and flora species including some of the endemic species because of the geologic formations and also exhibiting exceptional scientific interest. These designated areas account for about 2.3% of the Earth’s surface accounting for a total of 35% of the global ecosystem services. The hotspots provide crucial ecosystem services for human life, such as the provision of clean water, pollination and climate regulation besides supporting rich biodiversity. They also serve as a home for several ‘ ENDEMIC SPECIES’ that are...

Our planet consists of various species that are building blocks of Earth. To make it simpler, Biodiversity-rich areas with high chance of species going extinct, mainly because of humans starting to live there, are said to be biological hotspots. Species are going extinct at a rate quicker than mass extinction of dinosaurs. Originally, 25 biological hotspots used to cover 11.8% of the land surface area of earth. However, since the addition of 11 more hotspots, land surface covered by these hotspots increased to 15.7%. This 15.7% faced habitat loss of 85% and this number reduced so much that 60% of the planet’s terrestrial life only lives on 2.4% of the land surface area. Simple Navigation • Importance of Biodiversity Hotspots • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Protection Efforts Importance of Biodiversity Hotspots These ecological hotspots support more than 15,000 endemic plant species and some of those have lost up to 95% of their natural habitat. Loss of species at this rate would mean reduced air for us to breathe, food to consume, or even water to drink and utilize. Humanity would cease to exist! These ecological hotspots are most critical to human survival and sadly, these are the ones most threatened. Hotspots are among the richest and most important ecosystems on the planet. They are home to numerous vulnerable species whose survival is directly dependent on our actions. SEE ALSO What is Trophic Cascade? Various Types, Effects and Examples What’s concerning is the...

"Global Biodiversity Hotspots and its Endemic Flora and Fauna: Part-III" is a book that aims to continue the exploration of the world's biodiversity hotspots and the unique flora and fauna found within them. This book will build upon the first two parts of the series and will delve even deeper into the various hotspots, exploring their ecology, biodiversity and the threats they face from human activities. It will provide detailed information on the endemic species found within these regions and the conservation efforts being made to protect them. The book will be organized by geographic region, covering hotspots in Europe, Oceania, North America and other regions. It will include contributions from leading experts in the field, providing up-to-date and accurate information on each hotspot. The book will highlight the importance of these hotspots for the survival of numerous species and the provision of ecosystem services, and will serve as a call to action to protect these unique and irreplaceable regions for generations to come.

Bridal Veil Falls in Nantahala National Forest (NC), located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, one of the nine biodiversity hotspots in the U.S. in urgent need of protection. Image: Jan Kronsell, CC BY-SA 4.0 In urgent need of protection Thanks to pioneers like John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt, the U.S. has a long and proud tradition of nature conservation. But it could do a lot better. Intricate mapping of America’s unique species shows that its biodiversity hotspots match up poorly with the areas already under protection. A paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (1), identifies nine such hotspots in the U.S. outside current conservation areas that most urgently need protection. Fish species richness is particularly great in the southeast. Image courtesy of Clinton Jenkins Size isn’t everything The best way to prevent extinction is to protect the habitat of vulnerable species. On the face of it, the U.S. is not doing too bad in that department: it counts more than 25,000 protected areas, which cover more than 14% of the nation’s total land area. They make up around 10% of the entire protected land area worldwide. Endemic mammal species in the U.S. are concentrated in the Deep South, with significant presence in the West. Image courtesy of Clinton Jenkins U.S. scores lower than global average When it comes to specific biodiversity protection, the U.S. scores lower than the global average. Only 7.8% of the Lower 48 is within an area categorised as...