Diversity

Chapter VII

Biodiversity Hotspots and Conservation Priorities

Why conservation efforts should be prioritized to certain zones

A living fossil: Gymnocrinus richeri

The Diversity Of Life On Earth

Chapter VII: Biodiversity Hotspots and Conservation Priorities

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

2010 © Sylvain Richer de Forges. All rights reserved.

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The Diversity Of Life On Earth

Chapter VII: Biodiversity Hotspots and Conservation Priorities

VII.1 (a) What is a Biodiversity Hotspot?

A biodiversity...