Biodiversity Hotspots of the World


About the Series

Biodiversity Hotspots of the World The term ‘biodiversity’ came into common usage after the 1986 National Forum on Biodiversity, held in Washington, DC, and the publication of selected papers from that event, titled Biodiversity, edited by Wilson (1988). Wilson credits Walter G. Rosen for coining the term. In 1988, British ecologist Norman Myers published a seminal paper identifying 10 tropical forest “hotspots.” Myers described ten tropical forest “hotspots” on the basis of extraordinary plant endemism and high levels of habitat loss, albeit without quantitative criteria for the designation of “hotspot” status. A subsequent analysis added eight additional hotspots, including four from Mediterranean-type ecosystems (Myers 1990).

A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region that is both a significant reservoir of biodiversity and is threatened with destruction. Conservation International introduced two strict quantitative criteria to qualify as a hotspot: a region had to contain at least 1,500 vascular plants as endemics (>0.5% of the world’s total), and it had to have 30% or less of its original vegetation (extent of historical habitat cover) remaining. These efforts culminated in an extensive global review (Mittermeier et al. 1999) and scientific publication (Myers et al. 2000) that introduced seven new hotspots on the basis of both the better-defined criteria and new data. In 2005, an additional analysis brought the total number of biodiversity hotspots to 34, based on the work of nearly 400 specialists. In 2011, the Forests of East Australia was identified as the 35th hotspot by a team of researchers from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) working with Conservation International. In February 2016, the North American Coastal Plain was recognized as meeting the criteria and became the Earth’s 36th hotspot.

Very few books have been written/edited to document the biodiversity of these hotspots. Hence, these new volumes which aim to be a reference source for all foresters, wildlife biologists, conservationists, botanists, zoologists, policymakers, and others concerned with the conservation of the biodiversity of our planet.

North and Central America

  • California Floristic Province
  • Madren Pine-Oak woodlands
  • Mesoamerica
  • North American Coastal Plain
The Carribbean
  • Caribbean Islands
South America
  • Atlantic Forest
  • Cerrado
  • Chilean Winter Rainfall-Valdivian Forests
  • Tumbes-Choco-Magdalena
  • Tropical Andes
Europe
  • Mediterranean Basin
Africa
  • Cape Floristic Region
  • Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa
  • Eastern Afromontane
  • Guinean Forests of West Africa
  • Horn of Africa
  • Madagascar and Indian Ocean Islands
  • Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany
  • Succulent Kaoo
Central Asia
  • Mountains of Central Asia
South Asia
  • Himalayas/Eastern Himalaya
  • Indo-Burma
  • Western Ghats – Sri Lanka
Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific
  • East Melanesian Islands
  • New Caledonia
  • New Zealand
  • Philippines
  • Polynesia–Micronesia
  • Eastern Australian Temperate Forests
  • Southwest Australia
  • Sundland and Nicobar Islands
  • Wallacea
East Asia
  • Japan
  • Mountains of Southwest China
West Asia
  • Caucasus
  • Irano-Anatolian

ABOUT THE SERIES EDITOR

T. Pullaiah, PhD, is a former Professor in the Department of Botany at Sri Krishnadevaraya University in Andhra Pradesh, India, where he has taught for more than 35 years. He has held several positions at the university, including Dean, Faculty of Biosciences; Head of the Department of Botany; Head of the Department of Biotechnology; and member of the Academic Senate. He was President of the Indian Botanical Society (2014), President of the Indian Association for Angiosperm Taxonomy (2013), and Fellow of Andhra Pradesh Akademi of Sciences. Under his guidance, over 50 students obtained their doctoral degrees. He has authored over 70 books, edited over 40 books, and published over 340 research papers, including reviews and book chapters. His books include Redsanders: Silviculture and Conservation (Springer), Genetically Modified Crops (Springer), Sandalwood: Silviculture, Conservation and Applications (Springer), Advances in Cell and Molecular Diagnostics (Elsevier), Camptothecin and Camptothecin Producing Plants (Elsevier), Paclitaxel (Elsevier), Monograph on Brachystelma and Ceropegia in India (CRC Press), Ethnobotany of India (5 volumes, Apple Academic Press), Global Biodiversity (4 volumes, Apple Academic Press) and Invasive Alien Species (4 volumes, Wiley Blackwell). He was also a member of the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Professor Pullaiah received his PhD from Andhra University, India, attended Moscow State University, Russia, and worked as Post-Doctoral Fellow during 1976-1978.

Biodiversity Hotspot of the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka
Biodiversity Hotspot of the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka
Editor: T. Pullaiah, PhD
Biodiversity Hotspot of the Himalaya
Biodiversity Hotspot of the Himalaya
Editor: T. Pullaiah, PhD
Biodiversity Hotspot of the Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa
Biodiversity Hotspot of the Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa
Editors: T. Pullaiah, PhD, and Ally J. K. Nkwabi
Biodiversity Hotspot of the Indo-Burma Region
Biodiversity Hotspot of the Indo-Burma Region
Editor: T. Pullaiah, PhD
Biodiversity Hotspot of the Eastern Afromontane
Biodiversity Hotspot of the Eastern Afromontane
Editors: T. Pullaiah, PhD, and Teshome Soromessa, PhD
Biodiversity Hotspot of the Mediterranean Basin
Biodiversity Hotspot of the Mediterranean Basin
Editors: T. Pullaiah, PhD, and Loris Galli, PhD



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