Hotspots: Earth's Biologically Richest and Most Endangered Terrestrial Ecoregions

TLDR

Polynesia, the mountains of south‑central China, the coastal forest of Tanzania, New Zealand, and other sites are among Earth’s 25 hotspots, the richest and most threatened reservoirs of plant and animal diversity. The book argues that concentrating conservation efforts on these hotspots can slow the destruction of biodiversity. The authors compile expert studies and photographs to describe each region’s ecosystems and threats. The book, a definitive compilation of the 25 hotspots, shows that 60 % of terrestrial species are concentrated in 1.4 % of the Earth’s surface and that focusing conservation on these areas can preserve a major share of biodiversity.

Abstract

Polynesia, the mountains of south-central China, the coastal forest of Tanzania, New Zealand - all are breathtakingly beautiful sites with a crucial fact in common. They are four of the Earth's 25 geographical areas which, according to scientists and naturalists, are home to the world's greatest plant and animal diversity. The numbers are staggering: fully 60 percent of all terrestrial animal and plant species are found in these hotspots, which are themselves only 1.4 percent of the Earth's surface; they contain 54 percent of amphibian species and nearly half of all the plant species on Earth. They are the richest and most threatened reservoirs of plant and animal life on Earth. Hotspots is the definitive compilation and status report on these 25 areas. Russell Mittermeier, Cristina Goettsch Mittermeier and Norman Myers, who pioneered the hotspots concept, take you through each of these regions, describing the various ecosystems and the threats to their existence. They have gathered the work of more than one hundred international experts on plant and animal life together with hundreds of spectacular colour photographs, essentially creating a tour of the magnificent array of life found in each region. How we address and reverse the tide of destruction in coming decades will determine the planet's course for centuries to come, and Hotspots actually offers hope that this destruction can be slowed. By showcasing the specific areas that contain the greatest diversity, it demonstrates that we can conserve a major share of this terrestrial biodiversity by focusing efforts on relatively small geographical areas. Hotspots is not only an important work for conservationists; it is also an extraordinary view of life on Earth.