What qualifies as a Hotspot?
1,500+
Endemic vascular plant species
70%
Original habitat lost
4
Hotspots in India
~33%
Indian plants are endemic
1. Himalaya Hotspot
Includes entire Indian Himalayan region: J&K, Ladakh, Himachal, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal + Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, Myanmar
High Endemism
- Plants: ~10,000 species, ~3,160 endemic - Himalayan blue poppy, orchids, rhododendrons
| Group | Endemic Examples |
|---|---|
| Mammals | Snow leopard, Red panda, Himalayan tahr, Kashmir stag (Hangul) |
| Birds | Himalayan monal, Western tragopan, Black-necked crane |
Threats: Deforestation, grazing, hydropower, climate change.
2. Indo-Burma Hotspot
Northeast India: Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura + Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam
High Endemism
- Plants: ~13,500 vascular plants, ~7,000 endemic
| Group | Endemic Examples |
|---|---|
| Mammals | Hoolock gibbon, Capped langur, Pygmy hog |
| Birds | Mrs. Hume's pheasant, White-browed nuthatch |
| Freshwater | Endemic turtles and fish |
Threats: Shifting cultivation (jhum), logging, mining.
3. Western Ghats & Sri Lanka
Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu — UNESCO World Heritage Site
High Endemism
- Plants: 7,400+ species, 1,600+ endemic
| Group | Endemic Examples |
|---|---|
| Mammals | Lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri tahr, Malabar civet |
| Amphibians | ~80% endemic — Purple frog |
| Reptiles | ~60% endemic — Shieldtail snakes |
| Birds | Malabar grey hornbill (16 endemic birds) |
Threats: Plantations, urbanization, invasive species.
4. Sundaland (Nicobar Islands)
Nicobar group of Islands + Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines
High Endemism
- Plants: ~25,000 vascular plants in hotspot, ~15,000 endemic
| Group | Endemic Examples |
|---|---|
| Birds | Nicobar megapode, Narcondam hornbill, Nicobar pigeon |
| Mammals | Nicobar tree shrew, Nicobar long-tailed macaque |
| Marine | High coral and reef fish endemism |
Threats: Sea-level rise, development, invasive species.