1. TROPICAL ANDES
Sometimes called the “global epicenter of biodiversity,” the Andes is the richest and most diverse of all hotspots. It is home to 20,000 endemic plants and at least 1,500 endemic nonfish vertebrates, including a spectacular array of birds and amphibians.
Trips to this area:
> Ecuador
> Peru
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2. SUNDALAND
Featuring some of the largest islands in the world, Southeast Asia’s Sundaland hotspot is home to a number of unique species, including the endangered orangutans of Sumatra and Borneo. The second-richest hotspot in endemic plants, Sundaland is also well known for its mammal diversity.
Trips to this area:
> Borneo
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3. MEDITERRANEAN BASIN
This is the archetype of the five Mediterranean-climate hotspots and by far the largest. Best known for its 13,000 endemic plants, the basin is also home to a number of interesting vertebrates such as the Spanish ibex, an unusual ungulate. The site of many ancient and modern civilizations, it is one of the most heavily impacted of all hotspots.
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4. MADAGASCAR & INDIAN OCEAN ISLANDS
Often considered a mini-continent, Madagascar is famous for reptiles such as chameleons and more than 50 different kinds of lemurs—unique primates found only on these islands. Madagascar is thought by many to be the world’s top conservation priority due to its remarkable biodiversity and extensive deforestation.
Trips to this area:
> Madagascar
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5. INDO–BURMA
Stretching from the eastern slopes of the Himalayas through Burma and Thailand to Indochina, this hotspot features the world’s highest freshwater turtle diversity—43 species—and an amazing array of mammals. Several new ungulate species, such as the saola and giant muntjac, were recently discovered here.
Trips to this area:
> Thailand
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6. CARIBBEAN
The Caribbean hotspot has one of the highest concentrations of species per unit area on Earth. Reptiles are particularly diverse 497 species are found here, 80 percent of which are found nowhere else. Nonfish vertebrates in this hotspot number 1,518.
Trips to this area:
> Jamaica
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7. ATLANTIC FOREST REGION
Once covering an area nearly three times the size of California, the Atlantic Forest has been reduced to about 7 percent of its original extent. It is most famous for 25 different kinds of primates, 20 of which are found only in this hotspot. Among its best-known flagship species are the critically endangered muriquis and lion tamarins.
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8. PHILIPPINES
The most devastated of the hotspots, the Philippines’ forest cover has been reduced to 3 percent of its original extent. The Philippines is especially rich in endemic mammals and birds, such as the Philippine eagle.
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9. CAPE FLORISTIC PROVINCE
This Mediterranean-type hotspot in southern Africa harbors an incredible 8,200 plant species, more than 5,500 of which are endemic, in an area roughly the size of Ireland—approximately 20 percent of its original extent.
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10. MESOAMERICA
Forming a land bridge between two continents, the Mesoamerica hotspot features species representative of North and South America as well as its own unique biota. The spider and howler monkeys, Baird’s tapir and unusual horned guan are flagship species.
Trips to this area:
> Costa Rica
> Belize
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11. BRAZILIAN CERRADO
A vast area of savanna and dry forest, the Cerrado is Brazil’s new agricultural frontier and has been heavily impacted in the past few decades. It is home to 4,400 endemic plants and several well-known mammal species, including the giant anteater, Brazilian tapir and maned wolf.
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12. SOUTHWEST AUSTRALIA
A Mediterranean-type system, this hotspot is rich in endemic plants, reptiles and marsupials including the numbat, the honey possum and quokka, an unusual, noctural kangaroo. It also harbors some of the world’s tallest trees, among them the giant eucalyptus.
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13. MOUNTAINS OF SOUTH-CENTRAL CHINA
An area of extreme topography, these mountains are home to several of the world’s best-known mammals, including the giant panda, the red panda and the golden monkey. Largely unexplored, this hotspot is sure to hold manyundiscovered species.
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14. POLYNESIA/MICRONESIA
Comprised of thousands of tiny islands scattered over the vast Pacific—from Fiji and Hawaii to Easter Island—this hotspot is noteworthy for land snails, birds and reptiles. Hawaii has suffered some of the most severe extinctions in modern history, due in part to the introduction of non-native plant and animal species.
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15. NEW CALEDONIA
New Caledonia is one of the smallest hotspots—about the size of New Jersey—yet its concentration of unique plants is unmatched. Five plant families are found nowhere else on Earth. This hotspot also features many endemic birds, such as the kagu, a long-legged, flightless forest dweller representing an entire bird family.
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16. CHOCÓ–DARIÉN WESTERN ECUADOR
This hotspot features some of the world’s wettest rain forests, where amphibians, plants and birds are particularly abundant. Of the 350 amphibian species found here, an incredible 210 are endemic—one of the highest levels of endemism of any hotspot.
Trips to this area:
> Ecuador
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17. GUINEAN FORESTS OF WEST AFRICA
With the highest mammal diversity of any hotspot, these forests are home to the rare pygmy hippopotamus and many other striking species, including the western chimpanzee, Diana monkey and several forest duikers. Large-scale logging and hunting have heavily impacted these endemic mammals.
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18. WESTERN GHATS & SRI LANKA
The Western Ghats mountain chain and adjacent island of Sri Lanka harbor high concentrations of endemic reptiles; of 259 reptile species, 161 are found nowhere else on Earth. This hotspot is also home to a number of distinctive flagship species, including the lion-tailed macaque.
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19. CALIFORNIA FLORISTIC PROVINCE
Extending along the coast of California and into Oregon and northwestern Baja California, Mexico, this is one of five hotspots featuring a Mediterranean-type climate of hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. It is especially rich in plants, with more than 4,000 plant species, almost half of which are endemic.
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20. SUCCULENT KAROO
The only arid hotspot, the Succulent Karoo of southern Africa is renowned for unique succulent plants, as well as lizards and tortoises. The seasonal burst of bloom in Namaqualand, in the southern part of this hotspot, draws thousands of visitors each September.
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21. NEW ZEALAND
This hotspot claims a number of world-famous bird species, including the kiwi, a nocturnal, flightless bird that is so secretive, few New Zealanders have seen it—despite the fact that it is their national emblem. The critically endangered kakapo, a large, flightless parrot, is another of the island’s most unusual endemic species.
Trips to this area:
> New Zealand
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22. CENTRAL CHILE
Bearing more resemblance to California than to other areas in the Southern Hemisphere, this hotspot features an arid region as well as a more typical Mediterranean-type zone. It is best known for its incredible variety of plant species but also features unusual fauna, including one of the largest birds in the Americas, the Andean condor.
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23. CAUCASUS
Situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, Caucasus habitats range from temperate forests to grasslands. Especially noteworthy is the diversity of plants some 6,300 species have been recorded here, more than 1,600 of which are endemic.
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24. WALLACEA
Named for the 19th century naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace, this hotspot comprises the large Indonesian island of Sulawesi, the Moluccas and many smaller islands. The area is particularly rich in endemic mammals and birds.
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25. EASTERN ARC MOUNTAINS & COASTAL FORESTS OF TANZANIA & KENYA
A chain of upland and coastal forests, this hotspot claims one of the densest concentrations of unique plant and primate species in the world. It is home to the well-known African violets and 4,000 other plant species, as well as the 1,500 remaining Kirk’s red colobus monkeys.
Trips to this area:
> Tanzania
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Excerpted from Conservation International’s 1999 Annual Report.
Conservation International (CI) believes that the Earth’s natural heritage must be maintained if future generations are to thrive spiritually, culturally, and economically. CI’s mission is to conserve the Earth’s living heritage, our global biodiversity, and to demonstrate that human societies are able to live harmoniously with nature.
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