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.

Biodiversity Hotspots – Definition

A Biodiversity Hotspot is a geographical area with a high level of diverse endemic species that is not found anywhere else in the world.

In simple words, a biodiversity hotspot is a region where a significant number of threatened or endangered species live together. According to the British biologist Norman Myers, a biodiversity hotspot must contain at least 1500 species of endemic vascular plants that have lost around 70% of their original habitat. The marine hotspots, fish, snails, lobsters, and coral reefs are also considered biodiversity hotspots.

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 In India

As per the IUCN “Red Data List,” there are 36 areas in the world that are qualified as the Biodiversity Hotspots. Of these 36, there are four biodiversity hotspots present in India. Two of them are solely part of India, and rest two are distributed in South Asia.

Himalaya

Himalaya is the youngest and highest mountain chain present on the Earth. It is an arc that stretches across north Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, north-west, and north-eastern states of India. Here are some major features of the Himalayan biodiversity hotspot as mentioned below:

• The Himalayan biodiversity hotspot is the most populous with so many large birds and mammals.
• Many unique and diverse human groups are found in this hotspot.
• Mixed conifer and conifer forests are found in the higher hills of the Himalayan biodiversity hotspot.
• Flora: Alpine Meadows, Coniferous Forests, Rhododendron Forests, Temperate Broadleaf Forests, Bamboo Groves, Subtropical and Tropical Forests.
• Fauna: Snow Leopard, Red Panda, Himalayan Tahr, Blue Sheep, Himalayan Monal, Golden Langur, Himalayan Musk Deer, Himalayan Griffon Vulture.

Indo-Burma

Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot includes the entire northeast India, except Assam and Andaman groups of Islands. It also extended to Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and southern China. Here are some major features of the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot as mentioned below:

• The limestone karst formations of this region support a highly unique ecosystem.
• Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot is full of different plants, reptiles, and mollusks.
• In the last 12 years, six new big mammal species have been found in the area including Large-antlered Muntjac, Annamite Muntjac, Grey-shanked Douc, Annamite Striped Rabbit, Leaf Deer and Saola.
• Flora: Teak, Rhododendron arboreum, Amorphophallus titanum, Rafflesia arnoldii, Orchids, Dipterocarp trees, Pitcher plants.
• Fauna: Bengal Tiger, Asian Elephant, Irrawaddy Dolphin, Red Panda, Clouded Leopard, Gaur, Gibbons, Hornbills, Pygmy Hog, Sumatran Rhinoceros.

Western Ghats

The Western Ghats are also referred to as the Sahyadri Hills. They are made up of the Malabar Plains. It is a group of mountains that extend 30 to 50 kilometers inland and parallel to India’s western coast. Some parts of this region fall under Sri Lanka also. Here are some details as mentioned below:

• The Western Ghats has became a World Heritage Site.
• The Western Ghats regulates the southwestern monsoon winds and control the rain amount on peninsular India.
• As per the UNESCO, Western Ghats is the home to at least 325 globally threatened flora, fauna, bird, amphibian, reptile and fish species.
• Flora: Black pepper, Sandalwood, Shola forests, Ceylon tea, Ceylon cinnamon.
• Fauna: Lion-tailed macaque, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Indian rock python, Sri Lankan Leopard, Purple-faced langur, Sri Lankan Frogmouth.

Sundalands

The Sundaland hotspot covers a small portion of south Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and the western part of Indonesia. India’s Nicobar Islands are part of the Sundaland hotspot. Here are some major details as mentioned below:

• The hotspot is the home of so many iconic species.
• In Borneo, there are so many endangered species found including Orangutans, Pig-tailed langurs, Javan, Sumatran rhinos, and Proboscis monkeys.
• The world’s largest flowers are generally found in the Sundaland like Rafflesia.
• Flora: Rafflesia arnoldii, Durian trees, Dipterocarp trees, Orchids, Pitcher plants.
• Fauna: Sumatran Tiger, Bornean Orangutan, Sumatran Elephant, Sunda Clouded Leopard, Proboscis Monkey.

Biodiversity of India – Flora and Fauna

India is one of the mega-diverse countries. It is rich in biodiversity and associated traditional knowledge. India has almost 23.39% of its geographical area which is covered by forests and trees. India represents two realms, five biomes, ten bio-geographic zones, and twenty-five bio-geographic provinces in total.

• Realms: It is a large spatial region that shares a broad similar biota.
• Biomes: Biomes are the main groups of flora and fauna that live in a certain climate.
• Bio-geographic Zones: They deal with the geographic distribution of various flora and fauna.
• Bio-geographic Provinces: It is a biotic subdivision of realms.

Why Biodiversity Hotspots are Important?

Biodiversity hotspots are biogeographical areas that have rich biodiversity and are threatened by different destruction like overexploitation, climate change, pollution, and other human activities. Here are some factors mentioned below, why Biodiversity Hotspots are important:

• Biodiversity hotspots are important to maintain a healthy ecosystem.
• They are the foundation of all life present on Earth.
• If there were no species, there would be no air to breathe, no food to eat, and no water to drink.
• Natural resources are essential for the entire ecological life support system which comes from biodiversity.

Endangered Species of India

As per the IUCN Read list there are so many endangered species present in Indian Biodidersity Hotspots. Here are some of them as mentioned below:

Endangered Species	Scientific Names
Bengal Tiger	Panthera tigris tigris
Indian Elephant	Elephas maximus indicus
Snow Leopard	Panthera uncia
Indian Rhinoceros	Rhinoceros unicornis
Asiatic Lion	Panthera leo persica
Red Panda	Ailurus fulgens
Olive Ridley Turtle	Lepidochelys olivacea
Ganges River Dolphin	Platanista gangetica
Great Indian Bustard	Ardeotis nigriceps
Hangul (Kashmiri Stag)	Cervus hanglu

What is the IUCN Red List?

The IUCN Red List is a complete list of the threatened species. It is an information archive on the global extinction risk status. The list includes of all animal, fungus, and plant species. It is generally maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) organisation.

There are some levels of the division:

• Least Concern
• Near Threatened
• Vulnerable
• Endangered
• Critically Endangered
• Extinct in the Wild
• Extinct
• Not evaluated 

Tiger Conservation in India

The conservation of tigers became a major point for India when the tiger population entered in the list of endangered species. Tiger conservation in our country became a significant focus because, tigers plays a major role in our ecosystem. The main aim is to protect and increse their population. Our government has taken so many initiatives like “Project Tiger” that is administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority directly. For this paricular initiative, the population of tigers has been increased to 3,167.

There are three major threats of the tiger population in India:

• Conflict Between Man and Animals
• The Illegal Trades
• Hunting and Poaching
• Loss of habitats and Prey

Conclusion – Biodiversity Hotspots

A biodiversity hotspot is a geographical area with a high level of diverse endemic species that are not found anywhere else in the world. In simple words, a biodiversity hotspot is a region where a significant number of threatened or endangered species live together. In this article today, we have learned about the different biodiversity hotspots and different flora faunas with the biodiversity of India.

FAQs on Biodiversity Hotspots

What are the 4 Biodiversity Hotspots of India?

The Himalayan, Indo-Burma, Sundalands, Western Ghats and Sri Lanka are four biodiversity hotspots present in India. Two of them are solely part of India, and rest two are distributed in South Asia.

What are the top 5 Biodiversity Hotspots?

The Tropical Andes, Sundaland, Madagascar, Brazil’s Atlantic Forest and the Caribbean—contains endemic plants and vertebrates are the top 5 biodiversity hotspots. They are amounting to at least 2% of total species world-wide.

What do you mean by Biodiversity Hotspots?

A Biodiversity Hotspot is a geographical area with a high level of diverse endemic species which not found anywhere else in the world. In simple words, a Biodiversity Hotspot is a region where a significant number of threatened or endangered species live together.

What is a Biodiversity Hotspot with Example?

A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with significant levels of biodiversity that is threatened with destruction. For example forests are considered as biodiversity hotspots.

Why Biodiversity Hotspots are Important?

Biodiversity Hotspots cover a small part of the Earth but they are the home of so many endangered species. This places have rich biodiversity and they are threatened by different destruction like overexploitation, climate change, pollution, and other human activities.

Why are they Called Hotspots?

Hotspot are those areas which have a high density of biodiversity which are the most threatened points in the whole world. India is one of the mega-diverse countries. It is rich in biodiversity and associated traditional knowledge.