Biodiversity Hotspot

A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with exceptional endemic species richness that has also lost most of its original habitat. Norman Myers introduced the concept in 1988 and 1990, refined with Conservation International in 2000. Two criteria define it: at least 1,500 endemic vascular plant species and loss of at least 70 percent of primary native vegetation. Thirty-six hotspots qualify worldwide, covering a small land fraction yet holding a large share of endemic plants and vertebrates. Several are coastal or island systems, linking the concept to marine and shoreline conservation priorities and to protected-area targeting.