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Hotspots of Biodiversities in India

Hotspots of biodiversity

 “Hotspots of biodiversity" are the areas on Earth which possess both high biodiversity as well as high species endemism. Besides the biodiversity richness, these areas are also severely affected by human activities (deforestation, agriculture, urbanization, or environmental hazards at some point of time. These points prioritize them for taking conservative measures.

High Species Endemism: High Species Endemism means these areas provide shelter to many unique, endemic species that are found nowhere else in the world.

Endemic Species: The species of living organisms which are found in a particular geographic region and nowhere else in the world.

The concept of “Hotspots of biodiversity” was popularized by the ecologist Norman Myers in 1988.

Qualifying Criteria for a Biodiversity Hotspot:

  1. High Endemism: The region must contain over 1500 endemic species of plants and also high endemic species of animals.
  2. Threatened status: The region is under significant threat from human activities or climate changes and have must lost at least 70% of its original habitat due to these.

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have identified 36 hotspots of biodiversity in the world. Among these India is the home to four major biodiversity hotspots.

Hotspots of Biodiversity in India: Owing to four major biodiversity hotspots in India (36 in total in world)

1. Western Ghats: The Western Ghats is a stretch of forests which extend along the western coast of India.

Unique points of Western Ghats

  • It is also recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  
  • There are two main centres of this biodiversity – 1. The Agastyama Hills 2. The Silent Valley/New Amembalam Reserve Basin
  • It supports 1600 endemic species which comprise 40% of total number of endemics.
  • It has different zones of evergreen and semi-evergreen forests at different elevations from sea level with over 7400 species of flowering plants thereby forming a unique endemic crown.

·        It also possesses hundreds of species of animals (birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals) Some of the unique species of animals found here include- Nilgiri Tahr, Lion-tailed Macaque, Indian Elephant, and Malabar Large-spotted Civet.

2. Himalayan Mountain Range: The Himalayan Mountain Range extends through various northern states of India besides being its part in neighbouring countries (Nepal, Bhutan and south west China). In India, the Himalayan range passes from Jammu-Kashmir in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the east, covering parts of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Sikkim etc.

Unique points of Himalayan Mountain Range

·     In India, the Himalayan range passes from Jammu-Kashmir in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the east, covering parts of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Sikkim etc.

·     Home to a wide variety of unique plant species with diverse ecosystems, ranging from subtropical forests to alpine meadows and glaciers.

·     Some of the endemic species found here include the Himalayan Monal, Snow Leopard, Himalayan Black Bear, and the Red Panda.

·     It also provides shelter to many migratory bird species.

 

3.   Indo-Burma (Northeast India): This hotspot includes North-east part of India, along with regions from various other neighbouring countries (Burma, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia). This hotspot is added to India in July 2005.

Unique points of Indo-Burma:

  • It extends through north-east states of India which include Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura

·        The region possesses extensive tropical forests and wetlands which also include several globally endangered species.

·        Some of the major animal species found here include Blyth's Tragopan (a species of pheasant), Indian Rhinoceros, Clouded Leopard etc.

·        This hotspot is critical for migratory routes of many bird species.

 

4.   Sunda Shelf (Sundaland): This hotspot of biodiversity includes areas in the Bay of Bengal and various regions in Southeast Asia.

Unique points of Sunda Shelf:

  • The part of hotspot in India mainly lies in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

·        It is considered one among the most biologically rich marine ecosystem in the world.

·        The islands support rich coral reef ecosystems, mangrove forests, and tropical rainforests with several endemic species of plants.

·        Some of animal species unique to Andaman and Nicobar Islands include the Andaman Wild Pig, the Nicobar pigeon among various others.

·        The many endemic species found here are also threatened due to human activities which include overfishing and tourism etc.

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