Hot spots of biodiversity
- Biodiversity hotspots are geographical areas that exhibit a notable abundance of diverse species, including numerous species that are unique to that specific location and a substantial number of species that are at risk of extinction. The notion of biodiversity hotspots was initially introduced in the late 1980s and has since served as a valuable means of identifying regions that require heightened conservation efforts.
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- Only 2.5 per cent of the Earth’s land surface is taken up by the 36 hotspots that exist today, yet they are home to about 43 per cent of the world’s bird, mammal, reptile, and amphibian species, as well as more than half of its plant species.
- The hotspots provide essential ecosystem services to humans, including clean water, pollination, and climate regulation.
- These spectacular locations also have some of the world’s greatest human population densities, yet the relationship between people and biodiversity is not simply one of more people causing more environmental consequences. Human activity, not human density, is responsible for a large portion of human-biodiversity impacts.
- Conservation in hotspots encourages the long-term management of these vital natural resources while also supporting economic growth, which lessens the causes of violent conflict.
What is the criteria of Biodiversity Hotspots? - To qualify as a biodiversity hotspots, a region must meet two criteria- according to Conservation International-
- a) 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 is irreplaceable.
- b) It must have 30% or less of its original natural vegetation and must be threatened.