You hotspots, also called biodiversity hotsposts, can be defined as areas with high biodiversity, rich mainly in endemic species, and that present a high degree of threat. These areas are, therefore, places that need urgent attention, being considered a priority in conservation programs.
The term hot spot was first used in 1988 by Norman Myers in an article in which he listed ten tropical forests with high levels of endemism and destruction. His objective was to analyze and define areas with priority in conservation given their wealth and devastated area. In this work, however, no quantitative criterion for defining a hotspot has yet been established.
→ Criteria used to define a hotspost
Currently, a location is considered a hotspot if it meets two basic criteria:
Home to at least 1500 species of endemic plants;
Have lost more than ¾ of its original vegetation.
→ Examples of hotspots
The number of hotspots in the world is constantly changing, since every day studies in the area are expanded. To get an idea of these changes, in 1999, the existence of 25 hotspots was considered; in 2005, that number rose to 34. These 34 hotsposts are estimated to be home to about 75% of all the most threatened mammals, birds and amphibians in the world.
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In Brazil, there are two regions recognized as hotspots: o thick and the Atlantic forest. In the Cerrado, there are more than eleven thousand species of plants, with more than 4000 endemic. The fauna is also rich, with around 199 species of mammals, 837 species of birds, 120 species of reptiles and 150 species of amphibians. In the Atlantic Forest, there are 20 thousand species of plants, of which eight thousand are endemic. With regard to animal species, there are about 261 species of mammals, 1020 species of birds, 197 species of reptiles and 340 species of amphibians.
By Ma. Vanessa dos Santos
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SANTOS, Vanessa Sardinha dos. "What is a hotspot?"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/o-que-e/biologia/o-que-e-hotspot.htm. Accessed on June 28, 2021.
geography of Brazil
See here the most important characteristics of the Cerrado, such as location, fauna, flora, climate, vegetation, aquifer potential, soil characteristics and devastation.
