Biodiversity Hotspot
Biodiversity hotspot refers to a biogeographic region that is a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is threatened with destruction by human habitation. The term biodiversity hotspot refers to twenty-five areas that are around the world that have lost about 70% of their initial habitat (Norman and Myers 916). For a region to qualify as a biodiversity hotspot, it must meet two criteria: the area must have at least 1,500 vascular plants as endemics; the area must have a bid percentage of plants that are not found anywhere else in the planet. In other words we a hotspot is considered irreplaceable. Secondly, the region must have thirty percent or less of the original natural vegetation, the region must be threatened. Several international organizations are working towards the conservation of biodiversity hotspots. The agencies include the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), World Wild Fund for Nature, Birdlife International, Plantlife International Alliance for Zero Extinction, and National Geographic Society among others.
The northern hemisphere has sixteen times more dry land than the Southern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, there are tropical forests. The Tropical forests biodiversity hotspots are normally filled with endemic species. They are called biodiversity hotspots since they have a variety of species that are prone to extinction. The Amazonia forests have been adversely affected by human activities such as selective logging, wildfires, oil extraction among others. To help in conservation of the forests, the World Bank, GEF, WWF the KfW is increasing the number of trees in the protected areas in the Amazon basin.
In the Northern and hemisphere, there is the Eastern Himalayas which is considered as a biodiversity hotspots it is a temperate broadleaf forest ecoregion which is located in the middle elevations of the eastern Himalayas. The forests face threats such as habitat loss, infrastructure, and climate change. Some efforts are aimed at conserving the forests. The focus is aimed at managing parks, strengthening environmental policies, and laws. Scientists estimate that about 150-200 species of birds, reptiles, and amphibians become extinct every day. Some species are imperiled include, including Pangolin, Ti-liger, Vaquita among others. The most threatened habitats include Murray-Darling basin wetlands, Sydney coastal wetlands, and South karst spring. Human activities such as deforestation, infrastructure, and pollution are responsible for the environmental destruction due to this, many organizations are working towards conservation of the habitats through afforestation, legislation among others.
Work Cited
Norman, Myers. “Biodiversity hotspots revisited.” BioScience 53.10 (2003): 916-917.
“Biodiversity hotspots revisited.” BioScience 53.10 (2003): 916-917.