Question

What do you mean by hotspots of biodiversity?

Hint:

Although hotspots cover less than 2% of the Earth's land area, strict protection of these areas could reduce the ongoing mass extinctions by almost 30%.

Answer 1

Step 1: Biodiversity hotspots are areas characterized by a high number of species (richness) and species that are found nowhere else (endemism).
Step 2: These regions are also designated because they are experiencing significant habitat loss.
Step 3: Originally 25, there are now 34 biodiversity hotspots identified globally. In India, examples include the Western Ghats, Sri Lanka, Indo-Burma, and the Himalayas.