BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS

 

The “Biodiversity Hotspots” emerged from the increasing recognition that some exceptional concentrations of endemic species were undergoing exceptional loss of habitat, with the result that we are losing the Earth’s biological wealth – the species, ecosystems, and ecological processes – for future generations.

 

The Hotspots concept recognizes that a small number of ecological regions (eco-regions) occupying a small portion of the land surface of the planet account for an inordinately large share of Earth’s terrestrial biodiversity.  These biologically rich areas have high concentrations of endemic species – species restricted to these places and found nowhere else.  They are also increasingly threatened by human activities and human population growth. 

 

• 34 Hotspots have been identified, including many well-recognized areas like Madagascar and the Galapágos Islands;

 

• Hotspots, by definition, have lost at least 70% of their original native vegetation and, indeed, about 85% of the original extent of these areas combined has been lost, leaving an area representing a mere 2.3% of the Earth’s land surface;

 

• Nonetheless, this 2.3% harbours 75% of the planet’s most threatened plants and animals, including an amazing 50% of all vascular plants and 42% of all birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians whose ranges are restricted entirely to the Hotspots (i.e, they are endemic to the their Hotspots).

 

• The Caribbean Basin – the islands and cays of the West Indies, the Bahamas, and southern Florida – ranks as #3 of the 34 Hotspots for its levels of endemism, ie. we have the 3^rd highest concentration of endemic species on Earth.  Of the 1,518 terrestrial vertebrate species, more than half (779 species) are unique to the Caribbean.  Approximately 6,550 plants are endemic to the Basin.

 

• Unfortunately, on the flip-side of the “Hotspots” concept, the Caribbean Basin ranks #5 for “Hottest Hotspots with Extreme Conservation Needs”:  at least 10 parrot species and 33 mammal species have been driven to extinction over the last 500 years.  On Jamaica, 2 endemic bird species, 1 endemic rice rat, 1 endemic galliwasp, and 1 endemic snake are feared extinct:  the introduction of the mongoose in 1872, compounded by habitat loss, look to be the nails in the coffins of these animals that your great-great-great grandfather and grandmother had the opportunity to see in the wild.  We also lost our endemic monkey some time during the 1700s and extirpated our two endemic macaws by the middle of the 1800s.

 

Visit:   http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/Hotspots/

 

Prepared by: Dr. Susan Koenig, Windsor Research Centre, windsor@cwjamaica.com