Biodiversity Hotspots Africa – Biodiversity hotspots are species-rich communities threatened by increasing habitat loss, destruction and extinction. Biodiversity hotspots are not evenly distributed across the globe: North and Central America contain four hotspots, while South America has five. The Caribbean islands are their own hotspot. The only one found in Europe is the region that includes the Mediterranean. Central Asia has one hotspot, East and West Asia two, South Asia three, and Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region each have nine biodiversity hotspots. The African continent has eight hotspots.
A biodiversity hotspot is not defined by a single plant community or ecosystem, but by a unique set of different ecosystems that characterize a region and have at least 1,500 endemic plant species that have lost at least 70% of their original distribution. Using these criteria, 25 global hotspots were identified at the end of the millennium. Over the years, this has expanded to 36 confirmed global hotspots supporting more than 50% of the Earth’s vascular plants on 16% of the Earth’s land surface* or 2.4% of the planet. About 60% of life on Earth survives on this critically endangered 2.4% of the land surface.
Biodiversity Hotspots Africa
* Noss RF, Platt WF, Sorrie BA, Weakley AS, Means DB, Costanza J & Peet RK. 2015. How Global Biodiversity Hotspots Can Go Unrecognized: Lessons from the North American Coastal Plain. Diversity and distributions doi:10.1111/ddi.12278 Africa is known for its rich and diverse biological resources. The continent is home to the world’s 4,700 mammal species and more than 2,000 bird species. The African continent is home to approximately 40,000 to 60,000 species of plants and over 100,000 species of invertebrates. Therefore, it is no surprise that the continent has eight of the world’s 34 biodiversity hotspots. They are described below:
Biomes, Eco Regions And Biodiversity Hotspots
The Juicy Karoo is an ecoregion in Namibia and South Africa. The frequent fogs here are caused by the influence of the cold Benguela Current. It is one of the eight biodiversity hotspots in Africa. The region is known for its great variety of succulent plants. It hosts almost a third of the succulent plants found in the world. Almost 40% of the species found here are endemic. The diversity of reptiles and invertebrates in the Karoo is also very diverse. 22 of the 50 species of scorpions found here and 48 of the 115 species of reptiles are endemic to the region.
This biodiversity hotspot includes several terrestrial and marine ecosystems on the islands of the Indian Ocean, including Madagascar. In Madagascar alone, there are 7 terrestrial, 5 freshwater and 2 marine ecoregions. A high level of endemism exists in the plant and animal species that live in this hotspot. For example, Madagascar hosts 99 species of lemurs, all of which are endemic to the island. Phosa and Fanaloca are some other endemic species in Madagascar.
The Horn of Africa, shaped like a rhino horn, is a peninsula in East Africa. The countries of Somalia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Ethiopia are located in this region. The region is home to nearly 220 mammal species, including many endangered species. Some of the most prominent animals found in the Horn of Africa include Dibatag, Silver Dikdik, Beira, Somali Pygmy Gerbil, Grevy’s Zebra, African Leopard, Spotted Hyena, etc. Birds such as Djibouti Francolin, Black Bubu, Warsangle’s Linnet, etc. also live here. By about 285 species of birds, about 90 species are found only in the region. 10 out of 100 freshwater fish that live in the region’s waters are endemic.
This biodiversity hotspot includes tropical moist deciduous forests along the West African coast. This hotspot extends from Guinea and Sierra Leone in the west to the Sanaga River region of Cameroon in the east. The forests of this region can be divided into several different ecoregions, such as the highland forests of Guinea, the highland forests of Cameroon, the transitional forests of Cross Niger, etc.
Ecosystem Profile Update For The Guinean Forests Of West Africa Biodiversity Hotspot Launched
The Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot hosts incredible levels of biodiversity. There are at least 7,600 plant species, including 2,350 endemic species. The Albertine Rift area, located in this hotspot, contains about 300 endemics. More than 500 species of orchids grow here. The eastern Afromontane region is also home to over 1,300 bird species, 157 of which are found nowhere else in the world. Several species of endangered primates, the African elephant, the African leopard and many other mammal species also live in this region. The region also hosts 350 species of reptiles, 323 species of amphibians, and hundreds of species of fish and invertebrates.
This biodiversity hotspot is located on the east coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. It is a tropical rainforest region that stretches from Somalia to Mozambique and includes coastal parts of Tanzania and Kenya. The forests of this region are rich in biodiversity and have a high level of endemism. The forests here are also crucial to the region’s economy. They are necessary for the people living in the area with clean air and water, food, medicinal plants, firewood, etc. But the threat of over-exploitation of the coastal forests threatens the biodiversity of this hotspot.
This biodiversity hotspot is located in the southern part of South Africa. It represents the Cape Floristic Region, one of the world’s six flower kingdoms. The zone has an incredible biodiversity of plants and a high level of endemism. About 9,000 vascular species are found here, including 69% endemic. The Fybnos biome located in this region largely supports the region’s economy from ecotourism and income from harvesting Fybnos products.
This biodiversity hotspot is located in South Africa, where it extends from the southern parts of Mozambique to the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa. The region is the meeting place for eight major vegetation types. About 600 tree species grow in this hot spot. The black rhinoceros, an endangered species, is one of the iconic species found here. In addition to the rhinoceros, other members of the “Big Five” are native to this region. Human development activities have resulted in high rates of deforestation in this biodiversity hotspot.
Biodiversity Hotspots Of The World
- Working Dog Jobs - August 11, 2024
- Working Dogs For Search And Rescue - August 11, 2024
- African Plant Species - August 11, 2024
