Biodiversity Hotspot Qualification Criteria- Conservation International
Myers’ hotspot theory was adopted by Conservation International (CI) in 1996. The organization works to protect nature for the benefit of the people. Their mission is to conserve the planet’s biodiversity. Their work is mainly focused on making a balance between the planet’s biodiversity and humans. According to Conservation International (CI), there are two strict criteria by which a region can be declared as a Biodiversity Hotspot as mentioned below.
- It must contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants, of which more than 0.5% should be the world’s total endemic vascular plants.
- The place should have lost at least 70% of its original habitat. In other words, the habitat must be threatened somehow.
Biodiversity hotspots
Biodiversity Hotspots are biogeographical areas that have rich biodiversity and are threatened by different destruction like overexploitation, climate change, pollution, and other human activities. The word “Biodiversity Hotspot” was first coined by the British biologist Norman Myers in 1988.
As per the IUCN “Red Data List,” there are around 36 areas in the world that are qualified as the Biodiversity Hotspots. These Biodiversity Hotspots represent only 2.3% of the total Earth’s surface. They contain around 50% endemic flora and 42% endemic fauna of the whole Earth.
Table of Content
- Biodiversity Hotspots – Definition
- Biodiversity Hotspot Qualification Criteria- Conservation International
- Biodiversity Hotspots In India
- Biodiversity of India – Flora and Fauna
- Why Biodiversity Hotspots are Important?
- Endangered Species of India
- What is the IUCN Red List?
- Tiger Conservation in India