{"id":307,"date":"2025-05-13T22:52:15","date_gmt":"2025-05-13T22:52:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/?p=307"},"modified":"2025-06-10T15:19:29","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T15:19:29","slug":"international-day-for-biological-diversity-discover-earths-biodiversity-hotspotswith-nat-hab","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/index.php\/2025\/05\/13\/international-day-for-biological-diversity-discover-earths-biodiversity-hotspotswith-nat-hab\/","title":{"rendered":"International Day for Biological Diversity: Discover Earth\u2019s Biodiversity Hotspotswith Nat Hab"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Exactly one month after Earth Day, on May 22, global communities join in solidarity to celebrate the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/en\/observances\/biological-diversity-day\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">International Day for Biological Diversity<\/a>. Plans for this nature-focused holiday were set in motion as early as 1992, when the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was launched for signature at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.<\/p>\n<p><span data-sheets-root=\"1\"><!-- This site is converting visitors into subscribers and customers with OptinMonster - https:\/\/optinmonster.com :: Campaign Title: Inline_Destination_Nat Hab_Tortoise --><\/p>\n<div id=\"om-ch8fdokcux5mjskjbeuq-holder\"><\/div>\n<p>(function(d,u,ac){var s=d.createElement(&#8216;script&#8217;);s.type=&#8217;text\/javascript&#8217;;s.src=&#8217;https:\/\/a.omappapi.com\/app\/js\/api.min.js&#8217;;s.async=true;s.dataset.user=u;s.dataset.campaign=ac;d.getElementsByTagName(&#8216;head&#8217;)[0].appendChild(s);})(document,123366,&#8217;ch8fdokcux5mjskjbeuq&#8217;);<br \/>\n<!-- \/ OptinMonster --><\/span><\/p>\n<p>More than 150 governments signed the document at the \u201cEarth Summit,\u201d and since then, 187 countries and the European Community have subscribed to it, representing nearly universal participation.<\/p>\n<p>In ratifying the CBD, the 188 Parties committed to undertaking national and international measures to achieve three main objectives:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>The conservation of biological diversity<\/li>\n<li>The sustainable use of its components<\/li>\n<li>The equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The agreement covers all ecosystems, species and genetic resources and ensures that we leave a healthy, viable and equitable planet for future generations. It recognizes\u2014for the first time\u2014that natural resources are not infinite, and that the conservation of biological diversity is &#8220;a common concern of humankind.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-248416 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Colorful blue poison dart frog in terrarium. Dendrobates azureus\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/shutterstock_122694784.jpg\"><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Biodiversity Loss<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Biological diversity\u2014or biodiversity\u2014describes the variety of life on Earth and the natural patterns it forms. Biodiversity also refers to the variety of ecosystems\u2014communities of living organisms and their environments. Examples of ecosystems include desert, grassland, rainforest, wetland, alpine, tundra and ocean. Like a spider\u2019s web, every interaction is interconnected. This \u201cweb of life,\u201d or the entanglements between life forms and their environments, determines the health of humanity and the future of the planet.<\/p>\n<p>The IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services revealed that one million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction\u2014an amount unprecedented in human history. While extinctions are an expected part of the evolutionary process, the current rate of population decline is estimated between 1,000 and 10,000 times higher than natural rates.<\/p>\n<p>Other significant findings in the report include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Three-quarters of the land-based environment and about 66% of the marine environment have been significantly altered by human actions. (On average, these trends have been less severe or avoided in areas held or managed by Indigenous peoples and local communities.)<\/li>\n<li>More than one-third of the world\u2019s land surface and nearly 75% of freshwater resources are now devoted to crop or livestock production.<\/li>\n<li>The value of agricultural crop production has increased by about 300% since 1970.<\/li>\n<li>Raw timber harvest has risen by 45%, and approximately 60 billion tons of renewable and nonrenewable resources are now extracted globally every year.<\/li>\n<li>Land degradation has reduced the productivity of 23% of the global land surface.<\/li>\n<li>Up to $577 billion in annual global crops are at risk from pollinator loss.<\/li>\n<li>One hundred to 300 million people are at increased risk of floods and hurricanes because of the loss of coastal habitats and protection.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-248418 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Orangutan Pongo pygmaeus at Tanjung Puting National Park in Borneo Indonesia\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/shutterstock_1943818909.jpg\"><\/h2>\n<h2><strong>Biodiversity Hotspots <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Biodiversity hotspots refer to regions that are a) high in biological density and diversity, and b) highly threatened. To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot, a region must meet two strict criteria: It must contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants found nowhere else on Earth (known as &#8220;endemic&#8221; species). And it must have lost at least 70% of its primary native vegetation.<\/p>\n<p>Many biodiversity hotspots exceed the two criteria. For example, both the Sundaland Hotspot in Southeast Asia and the Tropical Andes Hotspot in South America have about 15,000 endemic plant species. The loss of vegetation in some hotspots has reached an astounding 95%.<\/p>\n<p>Thirty-six areas worldwide qualify as biodiversity hotspots. Although their habitats represent just 2.5% of Earth\u2019s land surface, they support more than half of the world\u2019s endemic plant species and nearly 43% of bird, mammal, reptile and amphibian endemic species.<\/p>\n<p>The Andes Mountains Tropical Hotspot\u2014which comprises the Andes Mountains of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and the northern tropical portions within <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nathab.com\/south-america\/patagonia-adventure\">Argentina and Chile<\/a>\u2014is the world\u2019s most diverse hotspot. About one-sixth of all plant species in the world live in this region, and all are at risk due to agricultural expansion and mining.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nathab.com\/asia-adventure-travel\/new-zealand-explorer\">New Zealand archipelago<\/a> is another hotspot. More than 90% of the insects and 80% of the vascular plants in New Zealand are endemic to the region.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nathab.com\/asia-adventure-travel\/natural-jewels-of-bhutan-nepal\">Himalayan region<\/a> contains the tallest mountains in the world, as well as animals like the black-necked crane\u2014the only alpine crane in the world.<\/p>\n<p>The Indonesian island of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nathab.com\/asia-adventure-travel\/the-natural-wonders-of-borneo\/\">Borneo<\/a> harbors more than 1,400 different animal species and at least 15,000 plant species. Charismatic fauna like orangutans, pygmy elephants, clouded leopards, rhinos and proboscis monkeys are sheltered by the world\u2019s tallest tropical trees, while fifty species of carnivorous pitcher plants and nearly 3,000 species of orchids carpet the forest floor.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, the intrinsic value of these precious organisms is often overshadowed by the economic gains that result from natural resource exploitation. Forests are decimated to make way for profitable palm oil plantations; rare species are hunted, harvested and sold on the black market; and hardwood trees, coal, rubber, gold, diamonds and other metals and minerals are extracted at an industrial scale.<\/p>\n<p>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 Organization. In February 2016, the North American Coastal Plain was recognized as meeting the criteria and became the Earth&#8217;s 36th hotspot.<\/p>\n<p>The 36 biodiversity hotspots are home to around 2 billion people. Conservation International estimates that the forests, wetlands and other ecosystems in hotspots account for 35% of the \u201cecosystem services\u201d that vulnerable human populations depend on, like clean water, pollination and climate regulation.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Building a Shared Future <\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund puts the power of biodiversity conservation into the hands of the people by promoting sustainable management of essential natural resources and supporting economic growth by awarding grants to civil society (community-based groups, non-governmental organizations, Indigenous peoples and academic institutions).<\/p>\n<p>Citizen of the Potawatomi Nation and author of <em>Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants<\/em>, Robin Wall Kimmerer <a href=\"https:\/\/emergencemagazine.org\/essay\/ancient-green\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">observes<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMoss lifeways offer a strong contrast to the ways we\u2019ve organized our society, which prioritizes relentless growth as the metric of well-being: always getting bigger, producing more, having more. Infinite growth is ecologically impossible and exceedingly destructive, as it demands the transformation of the lives of other beings into raw materials to feed the fiction.<\/p>\n<p>Mosses show us another way\u2014the abundance that emanates from self-restraint, from enoughness\u2026A moss community possesses many of the attributes we might envision for a sustainable human community of the future: solar energy and an integrated system of recycling where nothing is wasted. There is no dependence on foreign oil or nuclear waste here. A system of this sort can sustain itself indefinitely. This is the environmental philosophy of mosses, that small is beautiful. They remind us of the virtue of humility, a value in short supply among the people of the Anthropocene. This view is hard for humans to accept, with our love of power and stature.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-248415 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"A goup of cute ring-tailed lemurs with the baby monkeys on mothers back\" width=\"1500\" height=\"995\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/shutterstock_3017480.jpg\"><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Be a Biodiversity Champion<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Help protect the planet&#8217;s biological diversity through actions large and small!<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Be a green commuter (bike, public transportation, carpooling)<\/li>\n<li>Go paperless (use tech for good and print less)<\/li>\n<li>Ditch disposable; choose reusable (say no to single-use plastic, invest in glass, canvas and cloth instead)<\/li>\n<li>Reduce food waste (shop responsibly, meal-prep and compost)<\/li>\n<li>Shop for sustainably sourced palm oil products (monocultures contribute to deforestation and habitat destruction)<\/li>\n<li>Wash on full loads (run larger, fuller loads on cold water to save water and energy)<\/li>\n<li>Learn to refuse (pass on plastic bags from supermarkets, which end up in landfills)<\/li>\n<li>Source sustainable produce<\/li>\n<li>Travel Sustainably (research carbon-neutral alternatives, lower-impact transport options and accommodations with eco-friendly practices)<\/li>\n<li>Use less water (take shorter showers, limit full baths, turn off the tap when brushing your teeth, switch to a low-flow shower head, test your toilets for leaks)<\/li>\n<li>Reconnect with nature (build your own terrarium, nurture house plants, watch for birds)<\/li>\n<li>Reuse and upcycle (go thrifting or reimagine and refashion your clothes)<\/li>\n<li>Spread the word (Use the hashtags #Connect2Earth and #BiodiversityDay to join the conversation and be part of the solution)<\/li>\n<li>Take action against plastic pollution (8 million tons of plastic are dumped in our oceans every year. Cut down on single-use plastics by bringing reusable mugs and saying no to plastic cutlery and containers)<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t litter (keep our spaces green by using bins or packing waste home with you)<\/li>\n<li>Conserve energy (turn off the lights, unplug unnecessary appliances when not in use and switch to energy-efficient appliances)<\/li>\n<li>Stay informed (there is no action without awareness. Keep up-to-date on international affairs and the world\u2019s latest discoveries and innovations)<\/li>\n<li>Volunteer with a charity (connect with your local community by participating in a beach clean or tree planting)<\/li>\n<li>Recycle whenever possible (keep an eye out for labels like \u2018recycled\u2019 and \u2018FSC\u2019)<\/li>\n<li>Embrace minimalism (buy less and buy smarter)<\/li>\n<li>Restore nature &amp; biodiversity (buy a houseplant, plant a herb garden in your space, support local wildlife and participate in community clean-ups)<\/li>\n<li>Celebrate International Day for Biological Diversity (participate in celebrations that are happening in your country or organize an activity to get others involved)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Want to learn more? You can enroll in the free, self-paced course created by the United Nations Development Program, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nbsapforum.net\/elearning\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NBSAP Forum<\/a>, The CBD and <a href=\"https:\/\/rare.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rare<\/a>! \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.learningfornature.org\/en\/courses\/communicating-the-value-of-biodiversity\/#learndash-course-content\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Communicating the Value of Biodiversity<\/a>\u201d offers five lessons designed for learners who are not experts in biology. The module introduces strategies for educating the public about biodiversity in an exciting and engaging way and explores how to navigate differences in power or perception when designing effective communication methods.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-248417 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Black and rufous elephant shrew -Rhynchocyon petersi or sengi or Zanj elephant shrew, found only in Africa, native to the lowland montane and dense forests of Kenya and Tanzania.\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/shutterstock_1935249134.jpg\"><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Responsibly Visit Biodiversity Hotspots with Nat Hab &amp; WWF<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Natural Habitat Adventures offers an array of sustainable itineraries to explore Earth\u2019s most biodiverse regions. Below is a non-exhaustive list of official <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cepf.net\/node\/1996\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hotspots<\/a> that travelers can visit, guided by our Expedition Leaders!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nathab.com\/asia-adventure-travel\/the-natural-wonders-of-borneo\/\">Borneo<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nathab.com\/search\/?region=&amp;country=India\">India<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nathab.com\/asia-adventure-travel\/natural-jewels-of-bhutan-nepal\/\">Nepal<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nathab.com\/asia-adventure-travel\/wild-china-panda-tour\/\">China<\/a><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nathab.com\/search\/?country=Tanzania\">Tanzania<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nathab.com\/search\/?country=kenya\">Kenya<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nathab.com\/africa\/uganda-rwanda-gorilla-safari\/\">Rwanda<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nathab.com\/search\/?country=Uganda\">Uganda<\/a><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nathab.com\/africa\/wild-madagascar\/\">Madagascar<\/a><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nathab.com\/search\/?country=Mexico\">Mexico<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nathab.com\/search\/?country=CostaRica\">Costa Rica<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nathab.com\/search\/?country=Ecuador\">Ecuador<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nathab.com\/search\/?country=Peru\">Peru<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nathab.com\/search\/?region=&amp;country=Australia\">Australia<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nathab.com\/asia-adventure-travel\/new-zealand-explorer\/\">New Zealand<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nathab.com\/south-america\/patagonia-adventure\">Patagonia<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nathab.com\/blog\/earths-biodiversity-hotspots\">International Day for Biological Diversity: Discover Earth\u2019s Biodiversity Hotspotswith Nat Hab<\/a> first appeared on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nathab.com\/blog\">Good Nature Travel Blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Exactly one month after Earth Day, on May 22, global communities join in solidarity to celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity. Plans for this nature-focused holiday were set in motion as early as 1992, when the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was launched for signature at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":309,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/307"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=307"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/307\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":314,"href":"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/307\/revisions\/314"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}