The Ecology Book

96

WE ARE IN THE

OPENING PHASE OF

A MASS EXTINCTION

BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS

A

biodiversity hotspot is an

area with an unusually

high concentration of

animal and plant species. The term

was coined in 1988 by Norman

Myers, a British conservationist,

to describe areas that are both

biologically rich and deeply

threatened. Facing the huge

and increasing challenge of mass

extinctions of species caused by

the destruction of premium habitats,

Myers argued that priorities had

to be set to establish where to

concentrate resources to conserve

as many lifeforms as possible.

Defining hotspots

Initially, Myers identified ten

hotspots crucial for conserving

plant species that were endemic

(did not grow anywhere else on

Earth). By 2000, he had refined the

concept to focus attention on

IN CONTEXT

KEY FIGURE

Norman Myers (1934 –)

BEFORE

1950 Theodosius Dobzhansky

studies plant diversity in

the tropics.

AFTER

2000 Myers and collaborators

reevaluate the list of hotspots

and add several new ones,

bringing the total to 25.

2003 An article in American

Scientist criticizes the

concentration of conservation

effort on hotspots, saying that

this neglects less species-rich

but still important “coldspots”.

2011 A team of researchers

confirm the forests of east

Australia as the 35th hotspot.

2016 The North American

coastal plain is recognized

as meeting the criteria for a

global biodiversity hotspot—

and becomes the 36th.

The lush hillsides and forests of

Arunachal Pradesh, India, are part

of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot.

The area contains some 40 per cent

of India’s animal and plant species.

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