1. Biodiversity Hotspots
“The most remarkable places on
Earth are also the most
threatened.”
By
B Shravani

2. Definition
• Contain at least
1,500 species of
vascular plants
• Has lost at least
70 percent of its
original habitat.

3. Causes
• Unsustainable
Consumption in
northern
countries
• Extreme poverty
in Tropics

4. Biodiversity Hot-Spots
The hots pots repres ent an opportunity
to help cons erve the divers ity of life on earth

5. The List
• These 34 hot
spots account for
2.3% of the
Earth’s land
area, yet over
50% of Earth’s
plants and 40%
of its land
vertebrates.

6. The List (cont.)
• North and Central
America
• California Floristic Province
• Caribbean Islands
• Madrean Pine-Oak Woodlands
• Mesoamerica

7. The List (cont.)
• South America
• Atlantic Forest
• Cerrado
• Chilean Winter Rainfall-Valdivi
• Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena
• Tropical Andes

8. The List (cont.)
• 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

9. A Few Helpful Definitions
• Unique - Applying exclusively to an area.
• Endemic - Native to a certain region.
• Keystone species - central supporting
element of a whole ecosystem; removal
may have far reaching consequences.
• Terrestrial – On land.