Biodiversity Hotspots (version 2016.1)

There are currently 36 recognized biodiversity hotspots. These are Earth’s most biologically rich—yet threatened—terrestrial regions. To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot, an area must meet two strict criteria: Contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants found nowhere else on Earth (known as "endemic" species). Have lost at least 70 percent of its primary native vegetation. Many of the biodiversity hotspots exceed the two criteria. For example, both the Sundaland Hotspot in Southeast Asia and the Tropical Andes Hotspot in South America have about <strong>15,000</strong> endemic plant species. The loss of vegetation in some hotspots has reached a startling <strong>95</strong> percent.