An biodiversity hotspot is a biologically rich region that is deeply threatened by human activity: It has lost at least 70 percent of its original natural vegetation. Here are the world's 10 most threatened biological regions.

1. Photo by: Harald Hoyer / CC-BY-SA
Top 10 biodiversity hotspots

2. Photo by: Jon Purdy / CC-BY-NC-SA
A biodiversity hotspot is a biologically rich region that is deeply threatened by human activity: It has
lost at least 70 percent of its original natural vegetation. Here are the world's 10 most threatened
biological regions.

3. Horn of Africa
Remaining vegetation from original habitat: 5%
Pictured: Bandera village, Somalia
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Photo by: Expert Infantry / CC-BY

4. Indo-Burma
Remaining vegetation from original habitat: 5%
Pictured: rice paddies in the mountains south and west of Chiang Mai, Thailand
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Photo by: Mark Fischer / CC-BY-SA

5. Philippines
Remaining vegetation from original habitat: 7%
Pictured: mangroves in the Philippines
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Photo by: Klaus Stiefeli / CC-BY-NC

6. Sundaland
Remaining vegetation from original habitat: 7%
Pictured: orangutan with baby at the Semenggoh Wildlife Center in Borneo, Malaysia
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Photo by: Stephan Rebernik / CC-BY-NC-SA

7. Atlantic Forest
Remaining vegetation from original habitat: 8%
Pictured: beach in Santa Catarina, Brazil
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Photo by: Francisco Anzola / CC-BY

8. Mountains of Southwest China
Remaining vegetation from original habitat: 8%
Pictured: Gaoligong Mountains, China
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Photo by: rperlin83 / CC-BY-NC-SA

9. Caribbean islands
Remaining vegetation from original habitat: 10%
Pictured: Dunn River Falls, Jamaica
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Photo by: Jon Purdy / CC-BY-NC-SA

10. Coastal forests of Eastern Africa
Remaining vegetation from original habitat: 10%
Pictured: Benguerra Island, Mozambique
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Photo by: dmitri_66 / CC-BY-NC

11. Madagascar and the Indian Ocean islands
Remaining vegetation from original habitat: 10%
Pictured: A ring-tailed lemur in Madagascar
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Photo by: Frank Vassen / CC-BY

12. Eastern Afromontane
Remaining vegetation from original habitat: 11%
Pictured: Ethiopian Highlands, Ethiopia
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Photo by: Sightings of the Subtle / CC-BY

13. Photo by: Harald Hoyer / CC-BY-SA
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