HOTSPOTS OF BIODIVERSITY

Hotspots of biodiversity are areas that have an exceptionally high concentration of unique and threatened species. These regions are considered crucial for conservation efforts, as they harbor a significant proportion of the world's biodiversity.

Characteristics of hotspots:

1. High endemism: Many species found in these areas are endemic, meaning they are found nowhere else on Earth.

2. High species diversity: Hotspots have a large number of different species, including plants, animals, and microorganisms.

3. Threatened species: Many species in hotspots are threatened or endangered due to habitat loss, climate change, and other human activities.

Examples of hotspots:

1. Madagascar: Known for its unique lemurs, fossa (Madagascar's top predator), and a variety of bird species.

2. Amazon Rainforest: Spanning across nine countries in South America, it's home to an estimated 10% of all known plant and animal species.

3. Congo Basin: Second-largest tropical rainforest in the world, harboring lowland gorillas, okapi, and many other endemic species.

4. Indonesia: Comprising over 17,000 islands, it's home to orangutans, Sumatran tigers, and Javan rhinoceros, among others.

5. California Floristic Province: This region in western North America is known for its unique plant species, including giant sequoias and coastal redwoods.

Conservation efforts in hotspots focus on:

1. Habitat protection and restoration

2. Species conservation and research

3. Community engagement and sustainable livelihoods

4. Climate change mitigation and adaptation

By preserving these hotspots, we can help safeguard the world's biodiversity and ensure the long-term health of our planet.

1. North-east Himalayas: From the dense evergreen and semi-evergreen vegetation of the foothills in the Eastern. Himalaya, the character of vegetation changes at altitudes of 1525 m to 1830 m. Qaks, magnolias, laurels and birches covered with moss and ferns replace the sal, silk-cotton trees and giant bamboos of the foothills. Due to high humidity and much higher rainfall, lichens, mosses, orchids and other epiphytes cover the tree trunks. The animal life in the temperate region is different from the western Himalaya and is characterized by the presence of Indo Chinese fauna. The red panda, hog badgers, ferret badgers, crestless porcupines are typical species of this area. Three kinds of goat antelopes also occur in the eastern Himalaya and are relatives of the European chamois. Goral is a smaller goat antelope found throughout the tract on rugged grassy slopes and on rocky grounds near the conifers forests
2. Western Ghats: The Western Ghats and the central belt lying to the west of it, is a region of very high rainfall and is characterized by evergreen vegetation, its flora and fauna being a kin to the evergreen rain forest of north-eastern India. In the langur group, the nilgiri ‘Iangur’ (Presbvtis johni) is a multihabitat species occurring in addition to the shoals, in the temperate evergreen forests above 1700 m altitude in the Western Ghats. A number of climbing animals have evolved gliding mechanisms and are particularly characteristic of these forests. Among these are the flying squirrels. The other characteristic species of the Western Ghats are the Nilgiri mongoose, the stripnecked mongoose, the malabar civet and the spiny mouse.

The flora and fauna of these evergreen regions have not been fully explored. Being a store house of a large variety of plants and animals, these forests represent one of the richest gene pool resources of flora and fauna in the country. Though a large number of such forests have not been destroyed for various plantation crops like rubber, cocoa, coffee etc., whatever virgin forests remain have to be specially protected as in the Silent Valley of Kerala or the rich orchid belt of the north-eastern Himalayas in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.