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A living fossil: Gymnocrinus richeri

Chapter VII

Biodiversity Hotspots

and Conservation

Priorities

Why conservation efforts should be

prioritized to certain zones

The Diversity Of Life On Earth

2010 © Sylvain Richer de Forges. All rights reserved. 148

Introduction Chapter VII:

Biodiversity Hotspot and Conservation Priorities

Despite that biodiversity losses are occurring everywhere on

Earth, some areas which are both extraordinarily rich in life

forms and particularly threatened from a number of sources

have been identified.

As a general trend, equatorial and tropical zones have a

particularly rich biodiversity when compared to the rest of

the word. The colder it gets, the less bio-diverse the

ecosystems tend to be.

Examples of biodiversity hotspots include the rainforest of

Borneo and as a matter of fact most of the forests of

Indonesia and Malaysia, Reef environments across tropical

zones and many others.

18 principal biodiversity hotspots where conservation should

be prioritized have been identified.

The principal behind the concept of biodiversity hotspot

comes from the fact that despite that all ecosystems on

Earth should be preserved, only limited funds are available

worldwide to undertake such needed actions.

As such, it is necessary, in order to preserve as much

biodiversity as possible, to focus on areas which are the

most at risk and where the efforts will result in the greatest

number of species saved.

Often, loss of biodiversity arise from rapid deterioration of

the environment in the pursue of the extraction of

resources for immediate profit. One must however

understand that such models are not sustainable.

Once extinct, species have disappeared forever from the

planet.

© Sylvain Richer de Forges

Chapter VII: Biodiversity Hotspots and Conservation Priorities



VII.1 (a) What is a

Biodiversity Hotspot?

A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with a

significant reservoir of biodiversity that is threatened

with destruction.

The concept of biodiversity hotspots was originated by

Dr. Norman Myers. The hotspots idea was also

promoted by Russell Mittermeier in the popular book

“Hotspots Revisited” (2004).

To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot on Myers 2000

edition of the hotspot-map, a region must meet two

strict criteria: it must contain at least 0.5% or 1,500

species of vascular plants as endemics, and it has to

have lost at least 70% of its primary vegetation.

Around the world, at least 25 areas qualify under this

definition, with nine others possible candidates. These

sites support nearly 60% of the world's plant, bird,

mammal, reptile, and amphibian species, with a very

high share of endemic species.





VII.1 (b) The above map shows the principal biodiversity hotspots which have been identified around the world. The above map

shows that most biodiversity rich regions are in tropical and subtropical areas. South East Asia has numerous hotspots.

Source: Conservation International




VII.2 Case Study:

Madagascar

Madagascar, is the fourth-largest island in the world,

and is home to 5% of the world's plant and animal

species, of which more than 80% are endemic.

Emblematic species includes the lemur, the

carnivorous fossa, three bird families and six baobab

species.

Madagascar's long isolation from the neighboring

continents has resulted in a unique mix of plants and

animals, many found nowhere else in the world.

Of the10,000 known plants native to Madagascar, 90%

are found nowhere else in the world.

Madagascar's varied fauna and flora are endangered

by human activity, as a third of its native vegetation

has disappeared since the 1970s, and only 18%

remains intact. Since the arrival of humans 2000

years ago, Madagascar has lost more than 90% of its

original forest.




VII.3 (a) Case Study:

Philippines

The Philippines is one of the ten most biologically mega-

diverse countries and is at or near the top in terms of

biodiversity per unit area. Around 1,100 land vertebrate

species can be found in the Philippines including over 100

mammal species and 170 bird species not thought to exist

elsewhere.

With an estimated 13,500 plant species in the country, 3,200

of which are unique to the islands, Philippine rainforests

boast an array of flora, including many rare types of orchids

and Rafflesia. Philippine territorial waters encompass as

much as 1.67 million square kilometers producing unique and

diverse marine life and is an important part of the Coral

Triangle.

Deforestation, often the result of illegal logging, is an acute

problem in the Philippines. Forest cover declined from 70%

of the country's total land area in 1900 to about 18.3% in

1999. Many species are endangered and scientists say that

South East Asia, which the Philippines is part of, faces a

catastrophic extinction rate. According to Conservation

International, the country is one of the few nations that is,

in its entirety, both a hotspot and a megadiversity

country, placing it among the top priority hotspots for

global conservation.




VII.3 (b) The Philippines is suffering from severe degradation of its biodiversity. Most of this occurs as a result

of deforestation, trading of animal species and overexploitation of resources





VII.4 Case Study:

Borneo

Borneo is very rich in biodiversity compared

to many other areas. There are about

15,000 species of flowering plants with

3,000 species of trees, 221 species of

terrestrial mammals and 420 species of

resident birds in Borneo. It is also the

centre of evolution and radiation of many

endemic species of plants and animals. The

remaining Borneo rainforest is the only

natural habitat for the endangered Bornean

Orang-outang. It is also an important refuge

for many endemic forest species, as the

Asian Elephant, the Sumatran Rhinoceros,

the Bornean Clouded Leopard, and the

Dayak Fruit Bat.

It is one of the most biodiverse places on

earth. The World Wildlife Fund has stated

that 361 animal and plant species have

been discovered in Borneo since 1996,

underscoring its unparalleled biodiversity.




VII.5 (a) Case Study:

Barrier Reefs

The Australian Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest

coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900

islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of

approximately 344,400 square kilometres. The reef is located in the

Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland in north-east Australia.

The Great Barrier Reef supports a diversity of life, including

many vulnerable or endangered species, some of which are

endemic to the reef system.

The Great Barrier Reef has been classified as one of the great

wonders of the world and is therefore a focus of attention. However,

most reef ecosystems around the world and especially in the South

Pacific are extremely rich in biodiversity.

Such ecosystems are at risk from overexploitation, pollution and

climate change.

The loss of coral reefs would result in enormous biodiversity loss and

potential destabilization of entire marine ecosystems. The

preservation of coral reefs should be a high priority along with forest

ecosystems to preserve the biodiversity of life on Earth.





Barrier reefs around the world

contain an incredible amount

of biodiversity of which most

remains unknown to date.

As we know that these

ecosystems will be greatly

affected by climate change and

anthropic disturbances across

the century and will suffer

from massive biodiversity

losses, efforts to study their

biodiversity should be

intensified while we still can.

VII 5 (b) Coral reefs are amongst the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth, yet some of the

most threatened.





The Galapagos islands are an archipelago located on

the equator in the eastern Pacific ocean. They are

composed of about 40 islands of volcanic origin. On

these islands can be found the National Park of the

Galapagos and a marine reserve which has been

classified as a UNESCO world heritage site.

In 1835 Charles Darwin studied its species diversity

which inspire his famous study on evolution and

natural selection in 1859.

The islands are very rich in flora and fauna. The

archipelago inhabits 58 species of birds among 28 are

endemic and unique reptiles such as the iguana and

giant turtles. The marine fauna is also very rich with

over 300 species of fish and small mammals.

The islands hold a variety of plant species which vary

in accordance to different microclimates. Of the 875

known plant species, 228 are endemic.

VII.6 Case Study:

The Galapagos




Conclusion Chapter VII

As highlighted in this chapter, because some

areas are much richer in biodiversity than

others; some are more threatened and

resources for conservation efforts are limited,

the concept of biodiversity hotspots has been

introduced.

At least 18 such zones have been classified as

biodiversity hotspots of which most of South

East Asia and would therefore require much

conservation efforts. However, all of these

zones, despite their classification are still

experiencing serious environmental pressures.

If we are to succeed in preserving the

biodiversity of life on Earth, our efforts should

focus on these hotspots as a start.

However, such efforts need to be done in

parallel to global negotiation issues such as

climate change and trade of illegal timber if

significant benefits are to remain in the long

term.

Conservation is both a local and

international issue.



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Biodiversity Hotspots and Conservation · PDF fileOnce extinct, species have ... sites support nearly 60% of the world's plant, bird, mammal, ... Biodiversity Hotspots and Conservation