Maarg Manthan · Topic 6.6

Biodiversity Hotspots

Environment & Ecology › Biodiversity Basics and Classification · Topic 6.6

A biodiversity hotspot is a region with exceptionally high species richness and endemism that is also severely threatened by human activity. The concept was developed by the British ecologist Norman Myers in 1988 and adopted by Conservation International in 1989. To qualify, a region must contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants as endemics, which is more than 0.5 percent of the world total, and must have lost at least 70 percent of its original natural vegetation. Thirty-six hotspots are now recognised, covering about 2.5 percent of Earth's land surface but holding more than half of the world's endemic plant species and around 43 percent of endemic bird, mammal, reptile and amphibian species. India has four hotspots in whole or in part: the Himalaya, the Indo-Burma region, the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, and Sundaland (the Nicobar Islands).

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Environment & Ecology · Biodiversity Basics and Classification

At a Glance

Proposed by Norman Myers, 1988
Plant criterion 1,500+ endemic plants
Loss criterion 70 percent habitat lost
World hotspots 36
India’s hotspots Four
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Environment & Ecology: Biodiversity Basics and Classification

Where Does It Fit?

This topic follows the functions of biodiversity. It identifies priority regions where conservation gives the most return, and links to the Indian zones and protected areas. Previous topic: Functions of Biodiversity. Next topic: Bioinformatics in Biodiversity Studies.

What Are the Criteria and the Four Hotspots in India?

Hotspot	Features in India
Himalaya	Covers the Himalaya in India, Nepal, Bhutan, parts of Pakistan and China. Added for its endemic plants, snow leopard, red panda, Himalayan monal. Very rich in altitudinal variety
Indo-Burma	Includes the north-eastern India (except the Brahmaputra floodplain), Myanmar, Thailand and Indochina. Hoolock gibbon, Gangetic dolphin, Irrawaddy dolphin, many freshwater turtles, endemics such as Mishmi takin
Western Ghats and Sri Lanka	A mountain chain along India’s west coast with Sri Lanka. High endemism: lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri tahr, Malabar civet, many amphibians. UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2012
Sundaland	Includes the Nicobar Islands of India, with parts of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Nicobar megapode, Nicobar pigeon, saltwater crocodile
First criterion	At least 1,500 endemic vascular plant species (more than 0.5 percent of the world’s plants)
Second criterion	Lost at least 70 percent of its primary vegetation
Count	Initially 25 in 1999-2000, then 34 in 2005 and 36 now

Why Do Hotspots Matter and What Are the Concerns?

Efficiency: protecting a small land area secures a large share of unique species
Threats: habitat conversion, fragmentation, hunting, invasive species, mining, dams and climate change
Funding: the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund supports conservation in hotspots
Western Ghats threats: plantations, roads, mining, hydro projects and tourism pressure
Indo-Burma threats: shifting cultivation, logging, dams and wildlife trade
Criticism: focus on plants and endemics may miss areas rich in other values, such as high wilderness areas
Complement: the High Biodiversity Wilderness Areas and Global 200 ecoregions add other priorities
Policy link: hotspots guide funding and national planning, including India’s national biodiversity targets

What Else Should You Remember?

Norman Myers: introduced the idea in 1988, naming 10 tropical forest hotspots
Conservation International: adopted the hotspots idea and updated the list
Hotspot revisions: 25 in 2000, 34 in 2005, 35 in 2011 with the Forests of East Australia, and 36 in 2016 with the North American Coastal Plain
Largest hotspots: Mediterranean Basin and Indo-Burma are among the largest by area
Madagascar: a hotspot with most species endemic
Hotspot share: 36 hotspots hold about 77 percent of the world’s endemic mammals, birds and amphibians in some counts; check the Conservation International update
Hotspots in Asia: Himalaya, Indo-Burma, Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, Sundaland, Wallacea, Philippines, Japan, Mountains of Southwest China, East Melanesian Islands, and others
Wallacea: a hotspot between the Wallace and Lydekker lines
Sundaland: includes Sumatra and Borneo
Himalaya endemics: include rhododendron species and the Himalayan quail, now possibly extinct
Indian share: the four hotspots in India cover large parts of the north-east, the Himalaya and the Western Ghats
Western Ghats facts: less than 6 percent of India’s land area but over 30 percent of its species
Western Ghats extent: about 1,600 km from the Tapi river to Kanyakumari across six states
Gadgil Committee: Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel recommended ecologically sensitive zones
Kasturirangan report: suggested about 37 percent of the Ghats as ecologically sensitive
Eastern Himalaya: a centre of rhododendron and orchid diversity
Marine hotspots: proposed for coral reef areas such as the Coral Triangle
Biodiversity coldspots: areas of low diversity but with high ecological value are called coldspots
Hope spots: areas of the ocean needing protection, proposed by Sylvia Earle
Link to previous: see Functions of Biodiversity
Link to zones: see Bio-Geographical Classification of India
Link to protected areas: see Protected Area Network and Species-Based Conservation Programmes macro
Caution: the exact count and names change with updates; verify with Conservation International when current
Hotspot is not a protected area: it is a priority region and has no legal status
Exam hint: remember the criteria as 1,500 plants and 70 percent loss, plus India’s four with one animal each

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

Criteria: 1,500 endemic plants, 70 percent loss
India: four hotspots
World: 36
Current affairs link: Western Ghats eco-sensitive zones
Common errors: treating a hotspot as a legally protected area or giving the wrong criteria

As an analytical point, hotspots offer a way to spend scarce conservation funds where they save the most species, but they need local people’s support and attention to wider landscapes. They are also under growing pressure from development and climate change.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Criteria Endemism, threat
India Four
Use Priority setting

What Came Next?

The next topic covers bioinformatics in biodiversity studies. Next topic: Bioinformatics in Biodiversity Studies.

Key People and Terms

Hotspot Rich and threatened region
Endemic Unique to a place
Primary vegetation Original plant cover
Vascular plant Plant with conducting tissue
Coldspot Low diversity area
Wallacea Hotspot between faunal lines

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

Proposed by Norman Myers.
1,500 endemic plants and 70 percent loss.
36 hotspots now.
India: Himalaya, Indo-Burma, Western Ghats, Sundaland.
Hotspots are not legal areas.

Do Not Confuse With

Hotspot and protected area Priority region versus legal area
Hotspot and coldspot Rich threatened versus low diversity
Indo-Burma and Sundaland North-East India versus Nicobar link

Memory Hook

Fifteen hundred plants, seventy percent lost: that makes a hotspot; India has four.

Mains Angle

Questions ask for criteria and Indian hotspots. These points help.

Criteria Two
India Four
Response Priorities

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“What are biodiversity hotspots? Discuss the criteria, the hotspots in India and the challenges in conserving them.”

How to Answer

Define Hotspot.
Criteria Two.
India Four.
Threats Solutions.

GS Relevance

Prelims: criteria, number, Indian hotspots, features. GS Paper 3: conservation priorities.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a biodiversity hotspot?

A biodiversity hotspot is a region that holds an exceptionally high number of endemic species and has lost at least 70 percent of its original vegetation. The idea was proposed by Norman Myers in 1988 to help direct conservation funds to the areas that are both most valuable and most threatened.

What are the criteria for a biodiversity hotspot?

A region must have at least 1,500 species of vascular plants found nowhere else, which is more than 0.5 percent of the world's plants, and it must have lost 70 percent or more of its primary native vegetation. Regions that meet both criteria are recognised by Conservation International as hotspots.

How many biodiversity hotspots are there in India?

India has four biodiversity hotspots in whole or in part: the Himalaya, the Indo-Burma region, the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, and Sundaland, which includes the Nicobar Islands. The Western Ghats and the north-eastern region are especially rich in endemic plants, amphibians and birds.

Why is the Western Ghats a hotspot?

The Western Ghats have a high number of endemic species, including most of India's amphibians, many plants, the lion-tailed macaque and Nilgiri tahr, while only a small part of the original forest remains. They cover less than 6 percent of India's area but hold a very large share of its species.

Is a biodiversity hotspot a protected area?

No. A hotspot is a scientific classification used to set conservation priorities and attract funds, and it has no legal protection of its own. Protection comes only from legal measures within the hotspot, such as national parks, sanctuaries, reserved forests and eco-sensitive zones.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 Norman Myers proposed the concept of biodiversity hotspots.

True

In 1988.

2 A hotspot must have lost at least 30 percent of its vegetation.

False

At least 70 percent.

3 The Western Ghats are a biodiversity hotspot.