Accordingly, 34 biodiversity hotspots have been so far identified. Pdf hotspots of biodiversityareas particularly rich in species, rare species, threatened. A biodiversity hotspot is a region with a high amount of biodiversity that experiences habitat loss by human activity. Earths biologically richest and most endangered terrestrial ecoregions and a paper published in. Geographic distribution of biodiversity healingearth. Areas with extremely high levels of biodiversity are called hotspots.
Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities ciencia viva. Fauna of india and wildlife of india a biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under threat from humans. Only recently have we begun to test key assumptions that determine how useful a hotspot approach can be for conservation planning. These hotspots include 49955 endemic species which account for about 20% of worlds total plant species, mittermeir and werner 1990 on the basis of species richness put forth the concept of mega diversity centres. Biodiversity hotspots are regions with high species richness and a high degree of endemism. The word biodiversity describes the richness of an area in terms of its genes, species and ecosystems. These sites support nearly 60% of the worlds plant, bird, mammal, reptile, and amphibian. Biodiversity hotspots list of high impact articles. Vulnerability of biodiversity hotspots to global change. Only about 5% of natural habitats remain in relatively pristine condition, with another 10 to 25% of the land in damaged, but ecologically functional, condition. We carried out a global examination of distributions of all nonmarine mammals to determine patterns of species richness, endemism, and endangerment, and to evaluate the degree of congruence among hotspots of these three measures of diversity in mammals. The map shows 34 biodiversity hotspots which cover 2.
However, identification of the problem is not enough. Many global organizations are working to conserve these biodiversity hotspots, such as the world wildlife foundations global 200 and the critical ecosystem partnership fund. Biodiversity hotspots around the world and in india. Biodiversity hotspot a biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with significant levels of biodiversity that is threatened with destruction. Since 2001, cepf has funded conservation in 24 of the 36 hotspots. The global 200, as the strategy is known, expands the worlds global conservation priorities to 233 ecoregions, comprising earths 19. There are currently 34 biodiversity hotspots in the world.
Finally, it is becoming clear that the biodiversity hotspots approach represents a shortcut for a more complicated concept that is part of a bigger picture that includes consideration of ecosystem services, policies, costs, social preferences, and other factors, such as human activities and climate change. Whats more, conservation international is an investor in the critical ecosystem partnership fund. The idea was first developed by norman myers in 1988 to identify tropical forest hotspots characterized both by exceptional levels of plant endemism and serious habitat. Cepf is an alliance of leading conservation donors that provides grants to nonprofit and privatesector organizations that are working to protect the biodiversity hotspots and improve human wellbeing. Biodiversity hotspot analysis was originally used to identify large regions, typically the size of an entire nation, that deserved conservation attention, such as madagascar, northern borneo, or the philippines. To qualify as a hotspot, a region must meet two strict criteria. Some concentrate on regional biodiversity conservation concerns, such as the africa wildlife foundation, founded in 1961. A relatively small number of countries 17 have less than 10%. According to the original theory of hotspots, from 1971, hotspots represent mantle plumesblobs of rising hot material from the base of the mantleand make up a fixed framework independent of plate tectonics. In this context, it is especially striking that relatively few studies have tried to assess the vulnerability of biodiversity hotspots to climate change, landuse changes, and ias. Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities nature. In 1998, the world wildlife fund wwf devised a conservation strategy to replace the biodiversity hotspots first set forth by myers 1977. That is what makes our country one of the 12 mega diversity countries of the world. In order to qualify as a biodiversity hotspot, according to conservation international, a region must contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants 0.
Sadly, human activity has seen typical extinction rates increase by 100 to 10 000 times, mainly due to the. To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot, a region must meet two strict. Biodiversity hotspots around the world and in india by, r. List of global hotspots of biodiversity biology discussion. Biodiversity hotspots are due to poor maintainence and conservation, preservation, alimentation, resources and mutual sustained maintainence. Conserving biodiversity coldspots semantic scholar. The british biologist norman myers coined the term biodiversity hotspot in 1988 as a biogeographic region characterized both by exceptional levels of plant endemism and by serious levels of habitat loss. Biodiversity hotspots are a method to identify those regions of the world where attention is needed to address biodiversity loss and to guide investments in conservation.
The hotspots provide crucial ecosystem services for human life, such as provision of clean water, pollination and. This term was introduced by myers in 1988, who has presently recognized twentyfive such hotspots of biodiversity on a global level. Research vulnerability of biodiversity hotspots to global. Identifying biodiversity hotspots and atrisk areas is an important step in the right direction in order to be able to protect valuable ecosystems. Concept was first introduced by norman myers, in a paper published in the journal nature. Hotspots of biodiversityareas particularly rich in species, rare species, threatened species, or some combination of these attributesare increasingly being delineated to help set priorities for conservation. Habitat loss and extinction in the hotspots of biodiversity. Currently, we lack an understanding of the threat of n deposition to biodiversity at the global scale. Areas which exhibit high species richness as well as high species endemism are. Places with the highest levels of biodiversity in the world tend to be concentrated in tropical and subtropical regions. To qualify as a hotspot, an area must contain at least 0.
Biodiversity hotspots, biological invasions, climate change, conservation, land use change. Hotspots of biodiversity and ecosystem services one ecosystem. The four vertebrate groups, mammals, birds, reptiles and am. Biodiversity and conservation although india h as only 2. Find out the concept of biodiversity hotspots, criteria to qualify as a biodiversity hotspot and the name of hotspots regions of the world, which is very useful for the competitive examinations. Nearly half the worlds vascular plant species and onethird of terrestrial vertebrates are endemic to 25 hotspots of biodiversity, each of which has at least 1500 endemic plant species.
Nearly 45,000 species of plants and twice as many of animals have been recorded from india. Atmospheric nitrogen deposition in world biodiversity. Biodiversity refers to the variety and variability among all groups of living organisms and ecosystem complexes in which they occur. Biodiversity hotspots are areas that support natural ecosystems that are largely intact and where native species and communities associated with these ecosystems are well represented. Areas which exhibit high species richness as well as high species endemism are termed as hot spots of biodiversity.
In particular, rates of n deposition within the newly defined 34 world biodiversity hotspots, to which 50% of the worlds floristic diversity is restricted, has not been quantified previously. They are also areas with a high diversity of locally endemic sp. Global mammal distributions, biodiversity hotspots, and. Biodiversity hotspots in india biodiversity of india. Pdf evaluating global biodiversity hotspots very rich and even. His current focus is on the examination of different consenmtion strategies, although he also. Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities pdf. Conserving biodiversity coldspots recent calls to direct conservation funding to the worlds biodiversity hotspots may be bad investment advice peter kareiva and michelle marvier peter knrelva is lead scientist for the nature conseivana. Biodiversity and conservation were among the central. Many areas within the tropical zones are considered biodiversity hotspots, and are home to the worlds most rare and endangered species. Indoburma is one of the most threatened biodiversity hotspots, due to the rate of resource exploitation and habitat loss.
Biodiversity hotspots are geographic areas that contain high levels of diversified species, but are threatened with extinction. Some areas in the world, such as areas of mexico, south africa, brazil, the southwestern united states, and madagascar, have more biodiversity than others. A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with significant levels of biodiversity that is. Biodiversity hotspots pennsylvania state university. Cepf grantees work in developing and transitional countries in the worlds biodiversity hotspotssome of earths most biologically diverse yet threatened terrestrial areas. A user guide references on biodiversity offsets have recently been produced by organizations such as the. Nearly half the worlds vascular plant species and one. In fact, 15 of the 25 hotspots contain at least 2,500 endemic plant species, and 10 of them at least 5,000. Our diversity hotspots cannot be equated to the biodiversity hotspots normally mentioned in the conservation literature, as the latter usually consider also aspects of species traits and identity. But today in its latest update,us based conservation international ci,has. Hotspots, which have played a central role in the selection of sites for reserves, require careful rethinking. It is evident that highertaxon richness patterns can be combined to create even better surrogates for overall species diversity. Historically, they covered 12% of the lands surface, but today their intact habitat covers only 1. To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot on myers 2000 edition of the hotspotmap, a.
The 18 global hotspots defined by norman myers have since been used by the macarthur foundation to target its grantmaking. Earths biologically richest and most endangered terrestrial ecoregoins, 25 biodiversity hotspots were identified. These hot spots support nearly 60% of the worlds plant, bird, mammal, reptile, and amphibian species. Overall, these areas are vital to the biodiversity of the world.
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