Question

Who coined the word Biodiversity Hotspot?

Answer 1

Hint: Biodiversity hotspot is a specific geographical area with a significantly greater level of biodiversity and is threatened or on the verge of extinction as a result of human inhabitation. Subsequently a quantitative criterion for hotspot classification was developed.

Complete answer:
The term biodiversity hotspot was coined by Norman Myers in the year 1988. Initially ten tropical forests were recognized by him as hotspots. The criteria of this classification was that the areas had a very high level of endemism as well as a high level of loss of habitat. There was no quantitative measure to classify areas as hotspots. In the year 1990 two more areas were added to the list of hotspots by Myers.

The quantitative measures developed for classification later are as follows:
- The area should contain a minimum of 1500 species of vascular plants that are endemic to the area.
- More than seventy percent of the natural habitat of the area should have been lost.

Note: At present the number of biodiversity rich areas that are recognized as hotspots are thirty- six. These hotspots cover almost 2.5 percent of the land surface of Earth but is home to almost 50 percent of endemic plants and almost 43 percent of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibian species. Some examples of biodiversity hotspots are as follows:
i) Tropical Andes- South America
ii) Atlantic Forest- South America
iii) Caribbean islands- North and Central America
iv) Himalayas- South Asia
v) Indo- Burma- South Asia
vi) South- west Australia
vii) Japan
viii) Western Ghats
ix) Sri Lanka
x) New Zealand
xi) Sundaland and Nicobar Islands- India