Year 11 Pre-Diploma Biology

BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS
We tried to define biodiversity write down here what you now understand by the word BIODIVERSITY. Biological diversity is the variety and variability among the organisms and ecology. It divides into community diversity, species diversity, and genetic diversity. Genetic diversity is about genetic differences in t o populations of the same species. !pecies diversity is about the amount of different species in a fi"ed area. #ommunity diversity is about different ecosystems and habitats i round the wor!d are various biodiversity "HOTSPOTS#$ What do you understand by this ter%& "hotspot' $ biodiversity hotspot is a biographical region ith a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under threat from humans. %ist some of the more famous biodiversity hotspots, and beside each, very briefly say hat ma&es it a hotspot or hy it is determined or conserved as a hotspot. 1. ( )I*OR+I *)ORISTI( PROVI+(E

'he #alifornia (loristic Province is a )one of *editerranean-type climate and has the high levels of plant endemism characteristic of these regions. +. , DRE + PI+E-O . WOOD) +DS ,ncompassing *e"ico-s main mountain chains, and isolated mountaintop islands in Ba.a #alifornia and the southern /nited !tates, the *adrean Pine-0a& 1oodlands is an area of rugged mountainous terrain, high relief, and deep canyons. 2. HOR+ O* *RI(

the arid 3orn of $frica has been a reno ned source of biological resources for thousands of years. 4. ( PE *)ORISTI( RE/IO+ ,vergreen fire-dependent shrublands characteri)e the landscape of the #ape (loristic 5egion.

6. , P0T ) +D-PO+DO) +D- )B +Y *aputaland-Pondoland-$lbany, hich stretches along the east coast of southern $frica belo the Great ,scarpment, is an important center of plant endemism. 7. ( 0( S0S 'he deserts, savannas, arid oodlands, and forests that comprise the #aucasus hotspot contain a large number of endemic plant species. 8. ,EDITERR +E + B SI+ 'he flora of the *editerranean Basin is dramatic. Its ++,699 endemic vascular plant species are more than four times the number found in all the rest of ,urope. :. HI, ) Y 'he 3imalaya 3otspot is home to the orld-s highest mountains, including *t. ,verest. ;. PO)Y+ESI -,I(RO+ESI #omprising 4,699 islands stretched across the southern Pacific 0cean, the Polynesia*icronesia hotspot is the epicenter of the current global e"tinction crisis. 19. (HI)E + WI+TER R I+* ))-V )DIVI + *OREST $ virtual continental island bounded by the Pacific 0cean, the $ndes *ountains, and the $tacama Desert, the #hilean 1inter 5ainfall-<aldivian (orests harbors richly endemic flora and fauna. +ow 1o to www$biodiversityhots2ots$or1$ Here you wi!! find so%e usefu! definitions and so%e 3uite detai!ed des4ri2tions of the wor!d#s hots2ots$ Se!e4t any one of the hots2ots fro% the dro2-down %enu and %a5e a written su%%ary with the fo!!owin1 infor%ation6 Where is the hots2ot' In $frica, #ape (loristic region is south of !outh $frica, along the south- estern tip of the $frican continent entirely ithin the borders of !outh $frica. Why is it es2e4ia!!y i%2ortant' It has a uni=ue biodiversity and is home to the greatest non-tropical concentration of higher plant species in the orld, the region is the only hotspot that has an entire floral &ingdom. It is one of the five temperate *editerranean-type systems on the hotspots list, and is one of only t o hotspots that encompass an entire floral &ingdom >the other being ?e #aledonia@. What i%2ortant s2e4ies are 2resent' 3olds five of !outh $frica-s 1+ endemic plant families and 179 endemic genera, the characteristics of the #ape (loristic hotspot are the geometric tortoise, the #ape sugar-bird and a number of antelope species. 0thers such as mammals li&e $frican buffalo, lions and mountain )ebras. 5eptiles such as the parrot-bea&ed tortoise, and a leopard tortoise.

$mphibians such as the 'able *ountain ghost frog and the micro frog. %astly fresh ater fishes such as the cape gala"ias and several species of endemic redfin minno s. Who !oo5s after or is res2onsib!e for the 4onservation of this hots2ot' $ccording to the orld database on protected areas the #ape (loristic 5egion is protected by /?,!#0 and is listed in nearly all I/#? categories, and it ill encourage the Abiodiversity economyB in the region, and ill promote eco-tourism also as a better planning and management of the regions incredibly rich natural resources. 7ohn Osborne *ebruary 89:; Sour4es6 to www$biodiversityhots2ots$or1