Biodiversity Hotspots
EAST MELANESIAN ISLANDS
Once largely intact, the 1,600 East Melanesian Islands are now a hotspot due, sadly, to accelerating levels of habitat loss.
HIMALAYA
The Himalaya Hotspot is home to the world’s highest mountains, including Mt. Everest.
INDO-BURMA
Encompassing more than 2 million km² of tropical Asia, Indo-Burma is still revealing its biological treasures.
JAPAN
The islands that make up the Japanese Archipelago stretch from the humid subtropics in the south to the boreal zone in the north, resulting in a wide variety of climates and ecosystems.
MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHWEST CHINA
With dramatic variations in climate and topography, the Mountains of Southwest China support a wide array of habitats including the most endemic-rich temperate flora in the world.
NEW CALEDONIA
An island the size of New Jersey in the South Pacific Ocean, New Caledonia is the home of no less than five endemic plant families.
NEW ZEALAND
A mountainous archipelago once dominated by temperate rainforests, New Zealand harbors extraordinary levels of endemic species.
PHILIPPINES
More than 7,100 islands fall within the borders of the Philippines hotspot, identified as one of the world’s biologically richest countries.
POLYNESIA-MICRONESIA
Comprising 4,500 islands stretched across the southern Pacific Ocean, the Polynesia-Micronesia hotspot is the epicenter of the current global extinction crisis.
SOUTHWEST AUSTRALIA
The forest, woodlands, shrublands, and heath of Southwest Australia are characterized by high endemism among plants and reptiles.
SUNDALAND
The spectacular flora and fauna of the Sundaland Hotspot are succumbing to the explosive growth of industrial forestry in these islands.
WALLACEA
The flora and fauna of Wallacea are so varied that every island in this hotspot needs secure protected areas to preserve the region’s biodiversity.
WESTERN GHATS & SRI LANKA
Faced with tremendous population pressure, the forests of the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka have been dramatically impacted by the demands for timber and agricultural land.
High-Biodiversity Wilderness Areas