NAME: SUBHANKAR GHOSH

DEPARTMENT: CSE

YEAR: 2nd

SEM: 4th

ROLL NO.: 29
 BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS

What are Biodiversity Hotspots?

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.

Why do biodiversity hotspots matter?

The hotspots remain important in our work for two important reasons:

 Biodiversity underpins all life on Earth. Without species, there

would be no air to breathe, no food to eat, no water to drink. There
would be no human society at all. And as the places on Earth
where the most biodiversity is under the most threat, hotspots are
critical to human survival.
 The map of hotspots overlaps extraordinarily well with the
map of the natural places that most benefit people. That’s
because hotspots are among the richest and most important
ecosystems in the world — and they are home to many vulnerable
populations who are directly dependent on nature to survive. By
one estimate, despite comprising 2.4% of Earth’s land surface,
forests, wetlands and other ecosystems in hotspots account for
35% of the “ecosystem services” that vulnerable human
populations depend on.
Origin of the concept

The biodiversity hotspot concept first appeared in an article written by

the scientist Norman Myers in 1988. Myers, together with other
researchers, built up upon and revised the article culminating in
“Hotspots: Earth’s biologically richest and most endangered terrestrial
ecoregion” in 1990. For a region to be recognized as a biodiversity
hotspot, it must meet two criteria. First, 1,500 or more of the vascular
plant species found in the territory must be endemic. Vascular plants are
critical to the sustainability of the ecosystem since they allow the
circulation of water, photosynthetic product, and minerals. Secondly, the
territory must have lost 70% or more of its original habitat. This situation
translates to the loss of some of the region’s living species. Only 36
territories around the world meet these requirements, and they are home
to nearly 60% of the world’s flora and fauna.

Biodiversity is unevenly distributed around the

globe
With the enormous number of species that exists on Earth, it is
remarkable that the distribution of these species is so highly
concentrated in specific areas. Species richness, the total number of
species found in an area, is not evenly distributed around the globe: two-
thirds of all known species occur in tropical areas, especially in tropical
forests, even though the causes of such uneven distribution are still a
matter of debate.

Lists of biodiversity hotspots: -

North and Central America − California Floristic Province, Madrean

pine-oak woodlands, Mesoamerica
The Caribbean − Caribbean Islands
South America − Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, Chilean Winter Rainfall-
Valdivian Forests, Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena, Tropical Andes
Europe − Mediterranean Basin
Africa − Cape Floristic Region, Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa,
Eastern Afromontane, Guinean Forests of West Africa; Horn of Africa;
Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands; Maputaland-Pondoland-
Albany; Succulent Karoo
Central Asia − Mountains of Central Asia
South Asia − Eastern Himalaya, Nepal; Indo-Burma, India and
Myanmar; Western Ghats, India; Sri Lanka
South East Asia and Asia-Pacific − East Melanesian Islands; New
Caledonia; New Zealand; Philippines; Polynesia-Micronesia; Southwest
Australia; Sundaland; Wallacea
East Asia − Japan; Mountains of Southwest China
West Asia − Caucasus; Irano-Anatolian

India as a Mega Diversity region

A mega diversity region or country is one that harbors majority of the

Earth’s species and is therefore considered extremely bio-diverse. India
is rich in biodiversity from north to south and from east to west.
Geological events in the landmass of India, different climatic regions
across the country and its special geographical position between a
couple of distinct biological evolution and radiation of species are
responsible for India’s rich and varied biodiversity.
India is one among the top 10 countries with rich biodiversity and one
among the 12 Mega biodiversity regions in the world. Around 18
biosphere reserves have been set up in India.
India is home to 350 different mammals (rated highest in the world), 1,
200 species of birds, 453 species of reptiles and 45, 000 plant species.
India is home to 50, 000 known species of insects, that include 13, 000
butterflies and moths. It is estimated that the number of unnamed
species could be much higher than the existing number.
More than 18 percent of Indian plants are endemic (native to a
particular region) to the country and found nowhere else in the world.
India has 27 indigenous breeds of cattle, 40 breeds of sheep, 22 breeds
of goats and 8 breeds of buffaloes.
Among the amphibians found in India, 62 percent are unique to this
country. High endemism has also been recorded in various flowering
plants, insects, marine worms, centipedes, mayflies, and fresh water
sponges.

Threats and Conservation efforts

Biodiversity hotspots face numerous threats from human activities. In

many parts of the world, the population is on the rise leading people to
clear natural habitats for agricultural development and settlement.
Commercial development has also led to habitat loss and fragmentation.
Urban infrastructure including buildings, roads, railways, and dams have
altered the natural landscape in some parts of the world. Urban tourism
has become increasingly popular, and it puts pressure on the fragile
ecosystems. Freshwater habitats face their gravest threats from pollution
and sedimentation. Overfishing has dramatically reduced populations of
certain fish species in different parts of the world. Invasive flora and
fauna species, some of which were introduced by humans, have had
adverse effects on ecosystems since they compete for resources with
the native species. Deforestation, fires, over-consumption of living
species, and hunting are other threats to biodiversity hotspots. Only
small regions out of the total area covered by biodiversity hotspots in the
world are currently protected.
When we think about the future of biodiversity on Earth, we need to
consider the role we play in climate change. Some scientists predict that
up to 54% of species are at risk of extinction due to climate change. The
consequences of climate change are extremely widespread, threatening
even places untouched by humans. In order to protect our planet, we
can start by making small changes in our daily lives. Taking action by
recycling, picking up trash, being conservative with our water
consumption, and limiting pollution by walking, biking, or taking public
transportation are ways that we can help the environment. We can also
come up with our own ideas, as we educate ourselves on biodiversity by
reading about different places and living things.