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:
- High Endemism: The region must contain over
1500 endemic species of plants and also high endemic species of animals.
- 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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