Biodiversity hotspots are terrestrial regions with at least 1,500 unique vascular plant species that have lost 70% or more of their original natural habitat (Mittermeier et al. 2004). They can turn into a zoonosis emergence hotspot.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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The Caribbean Islands Biodiversity Hotspot is one of 36 such areas worldwide. Shaped by the region\u2019s geography and climate, it is a global center of endemic biodiversity. The ecosystem is severely at threat. According to experts, only about 10% of its original habitat remains. Ongoing population growth and shifting land-use patterns continue to endanger the remaining habitat, alongside natural disasters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Caribbean Islands Hotspot harbors rich biodiversity across varied ecosystems, with high levels of endemism. It hosts approximately 11,000 plant species, 72% of which are endemic (Acevedo-Rodriguez & Strong 2007). Among vertebrates, endemism is particularly high in amphibians (96% of 200 species) and reptiles (82% of 602 species), likely due to their low dispersal rates. In contrast, birds (26% of 565 species) and mammals (49% of 104 species, mostly bats) show lower levels of endemism (BirdLife International 2017; IUCN 2017a). Species unique to the hotspot account for 2.5% of the world\u2019s 310,442 described plant species and 1.4% of the 68,574 described vertebrate species (IUCN 2017a). Data on marine biodiversity remain incomplete, but the approximately 12,000 marine species recorded in the Caribbean are likely a significant underestimate. Mass deaths of coral reefs could have catastrophic implications for marine life and the people who depend on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Sources: <\/strong>Caribvet, CEPF, CANARI, Conservation International, BirdLife International, IUCN and NYBG.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Biodiversity hotspots are terrestrial regions with at least 1,500 unique vascular plant species that have lost 70% or more of their original natural habitat (Mittermeier et al. 2004). They can turn into a zoonosis emergence hotspot. The Caribbean Islands Biodiversity Hotspot is one of 36 such areas worldwide. Shaped by the region\u2019s geography and climate,Continue reading “The Caribbean, biodiversity hotspot”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1040,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"news_type":[10],"class_list":["post-1039","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","news_type-article"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n