In simple terms
A biodiversity hotspot is a region that packs in an extraordinary concentration of plant species found nowhere else on Earth, and that has already lost most of the natural habitat those species depend on. [1] The designation flags places where both the stakes and the urgency of conservation are unusually high at once.
How it works
Conservation International, the organization that created the modern hotspot concept, sets two strict numerical thresholds a region must clear. First, it must contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants that are endemic, meaning found nowhere else on the planet. [1] Second, it must have already lost at least 70 percent of its original natural vegetation to agriculture, development, or other human pressure. [1] A region with enormous biological richness but little habitat loss does not qualify, and neither does a badly degraded region with only ordinary, widespread species; a hotspot has to combine irreplaceable uniqueness with genuine, present danger.
As of the most recent global assessments, 36 regions have been formally recognized as biodiversity hotspots, together covering a small fraction of Earth’s land surface but holding a disproportionate share of its plant and animal diversity. [2]
Why it matters
Conservation funding is limited, so organizations like the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund use the hotspot framework to decide where protection will do the most good: concentrating resources where unique species are both abundant and acutely threatened, rather than spreading funding evenly across all ecosystems regardless of how replaceable or at-risk they are. [2]
Where you’ll see it
- International conservation funding decisions and priority-setting
- Regions such as the Tropical Andes, Madagascar, and the Mediterranean Basin
- Environmental impact assessments for development projects
- Biodiversity education materials and conservation advocacy
Example
The Tropical Andes region qualifies as a biodiversity hotspot because it holds thousands of plant species unique to its mountain ecosystems, even though large portions of its original forest cover have already been cleared for agriculture and settlement.
Often confused with
A wilderness area, in conservation terminology, generally refers to a large, mostly intact natural region with comparatively little habitat loss; a biodiversity hotspot is defined by the opposite condition, severe habitat loss paired with extraordinary remaining uniqueness.
Key facts
- To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot under the criteria set by Conservation International, a region must contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants found nowhere else on Earth.1
- A qualifying region must also have already lost at least 70 percent of its original natural vegetation.1
- As of the most recent assessments, 36 regions around the world have been formally recognized as biodiversity hotspots.2
- The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund uses the hotspot designation to help target conservation funding toward the most threatened concentrations of unique species.2
Quick checkWhat two conditions, together, make a region qualify as a biodiversity hotspot?Show answer
It must hold at least 1,500 endemic vascular plant species found nowhere else, and it must already have lost at least 70 percent of its original natural habitat.
Sources
- Conservation International. What Are Biodiversity Hotspots?. Undated (accessed 1 November 2026)
- Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund. Biodiversity Hotspots Defined. Undated (accessed 1 November 2026)
Editorially reviewed by Last reviewed November 1, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue