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List of Biodiversity Hotspots in the World

What are biodiversity hotspots?

  • The term ‘biodiversity hotspot’ was first coined by Norman Myers (1988).
  • He recognized 10 tropical forests as “hotspots” according to the level of plant endemism and high level of habitat loss. It, however, did not have any quantitative criteria for designating a region’s ecological hotspot.
  • Two years later, he added eight more hotspots, which increased the number of hotspots in the world increased to 18.
  • Conservation International (CI), subsequently, associated with Myers and made the first systematic update of the hotspots.
  • CI then introduced the following two strict quantitative criteria, for a region to qualify as a hotspot:
    • At least 1,500 species of vascular plants should be present (> 0.5% of the world’s total) as endemics;
    • Should have lost ≥ 70% of its original native habitat.

 

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Biodiversity hotspots in the world

  • According to Conservation International, there are 36 biodiversity-rich areas in the world that have been qualified as hotspots.
  • These regions represent just 2.5% of the earth’s land surface but support over 50% of the world’s endemic plant species.
  • It includes nearly 43% of bird, mammal, reptile, and amphibian species as endemics.

 

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List of biodiversity hotspots in the world

Sl. No. Name of the Hotspot Location
1. Tropical Andes South America
2. Tumbes-Choco-Magdalena South America
3. Madrean Pine–Oak Woodlands North and Central America
4. Cerrado South America
5. Chilean Winter Rainfall and Valdivian Forests South America
6. Atlantic Forest South America
7. Mesoamerica North and Central America
8. Caribbean Islands North and Central America
9. California Floristic Province North and Central America
10. Guinean Forests of West Africa Africa
11. Cape Floristic Region Africa
12. Succulent Karoo Africa
13. Maputaland–Pondoland–Albany Africa
14. Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa Africa
15. Eastern Afromontane Africa
16. Horn of Africa Africa
17. Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands Africa
18 Mediterranean Basin Europe and Central Asia
19. Caucasus Europe and Central Asia
20. Irano-Anatolian Europe and Central Asia
21. Mountains of Central Asia Europe and Central Asia
22. Western Ghats and Sri Lanka South Asia
23. Himalaya South Asia
24. Mountains of Southwest China East Asia
25. Indo-Burma South Asia
26. Sundaland Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific
27. Wallacea Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific
28. Philippines Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific
29. Japan East Asia
30. Southwest Australia Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific
31. East Melanesian Islands Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific
32. New Zealand Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific
33. New Caledonia Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific
34. Polynesia–Micronesia Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific
35. Forests of East Australia Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific
36. North American Coastal Plain North and Central America

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FAQs

What are Biodiversity Hotspots?

The term ‘biodiversity hotspot’ was first coined by Norman Myers (1988).
He recognised 10 tropical forests as “hotspots” according to the level of plant endemism and high level of habitat loss. It, however, did not had any quantitative criteria for designating a region ecological hotspot.
Two years later, he added eight more hotspots, which increased the number of hotspots in the world increased to 18.