Biodiversity Hotspots | Environment for UPSC 2024 (Pre & Mains) PDF Download

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BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS 
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BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS 
INRODUCTION 
There are places on Earth that are both 
biologically rich — and deeply threatened.  
For our own sake, we must work to protect 
them. 
Targeted investment in nature’s most important 
places. 
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BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS 
INRODUCTION 
There are places on Earth that are both 
biologically rich — and deeply threatened.  
For our own sake, we must work to protect 
them. 
Targeted investment in nature’s most important 
places. 
 
WHAT’S A HOTSPOT 
 
To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot, a region must meet two strict 
criteria 
It must have at least 1,500 vascular plants as endemics — which is to 
say, it must have a high percentage of plant life found nowhere 
else on the planet.  
A hotspot, in other words, is irreplaceable. 
 
It must have 30% or less of its original natural vegetation.  
In other words, it must be threatened. 
Around the world, 35 areas qualify as hotspots. 
 
 They represent just 2.3% of Earth’s land surface, but they support 
more than half of the world’s plant species as endemics — i.e., 
species found no place else — and nearly 43% of bird, mammal, 
reptile and amphibian species as endemics. 
 
Page 4


 
 
BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS 
INRODUCTION 
There are places on Earth that are both 
biologically rich — and deeply threatened.  
For our own sake, we must work to protect 
them. 
Targeted investment in nature’s most important 
places. 
 
WHAT’S A HOTSPOT 
 
To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot, a region must meet two strict 
criteria 
It must have at least 1,500 vascular plants as endemics — which is to 
say, it must have a high percentage of plant life found nowhere 
else on the planet.  
A hotspot, in other words, is irreplaceable. 
 
It must have 30% or less of its original natural vegetation.  
In other words, it must be threatened. 
Around the world, 35 areas qualify as hotspots. 
 
 They represent just 2.3% of Earth’s land surface, but they support 
more than half of the world’s plant species as endemics — i.e., 
species found no place else — and nearly 43% of bird, mammal, 
reptile and amphibian species as endemics. 
 
The list of the 35 biodiversity hotspots was put together 
by scientists for the non-profit-organization 
Conservation International (CI). 
 In 1999, the organization published a first edition listing 
25 hotspots with a follow-up containing the current 
list in 2005. 
Apart from CI, other environmental organizations have 
compiled lists with a similar intention 
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) talks about the “Global 
200 Ecoregions,”  
while Birdlife International came up with a map 
showing 218 Endemic Bird Areas. 
Though many of the regions overlap, the term 
“biodiversity hotspot” is above all used to refer to the 
hotspots defined by Conservation International. 
 
Page 5


 
 
BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS 
INRODUCTION 
There are places on Earth that are both 
biologically rich — and deeply threatened.  
For our own sake, we must work to protect 
them. 
Targeted investment in nature’s most important 
places. 
 
WHAT’S A HOTSPOT 
 
To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot, a region must meet two strict 
criteria 
It must have at least 1,500 vascular plants as endemics — which is to 
say, it must have a high percentage of plant life found nowhere 
else on the planet.  
A hotspot, in other words, is irreplaceable. 
 
It must have 30% or less of its original natural vegetation.  
In other words, it must be threatened. 
Around the world, 35 areas qualify as hotspots. 
 
 They represent just 2.3% of Earth’s land surface, but they support 
more than half of the world’s plant species as endemics — i.e., 
species found no place else — and nearly 43% of bird, mammal, 
reptile and amphibian species as endemics. 
 
The list of the 35 biodiversity hotspots was put together 
by scientists for the non-profit-organization 
Conservation International (CI). 
 In 1999, the organization published a first edition listing 
25 hotspots with a follow-up containing the current 
list in 2005. 
Apart from CI, other environmental organizations have 
compiled lists with a similar intention 
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) talks about the “Global 
200 Ecoregions,”  
while Birdlife International came up with a map 
showing 218 Endemic Bird Areas. 
Though many of the regions overlap, the term 
“biodiversity hotspot” is above all used to refer to the 
hotspots defined by Conservation International. 
 
INDIA 
It hosts 4 biodiversity hotspots 
• The Western Ghats 
• The Himalayas 
• The Indo-Burma region  
• The Sundaland, includes Nicobar group of 
Islands