biodiversity hotspot

== English == === Etymology === From biodiversity +‎ hotspot. The word hotspot to describe such regions appears to have been first used by the British environmentalist Norman Myers (1934–2019) in a 1988 article in The Environmentalist. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌbaɪə(ʊ)daɪˌvɜːsɪti ˈhɒtˌspɒt/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˌbaɪoʊdəˌvɚsəti ˈhɑtˌspɑt/, [-ɾi] Hyphenation: bi‧o‧di‧vers‧i‧ty hot‧spot === Noun === biodiversity hotspot (plural biodiversity hotspots) (ecology) A place with a significant level of biodiversity, particularly if the flora and fauna are threatened with loss of their habitat. Synonyms: hot spot, hotspot ==== Usage notes ==== In the writings of Norman Myers and his collaborators, a biodiversity hotspot is defined as a region that contains at least 1,500 endemic species of vascular plants (more than 0.5% of the world’s total), and which has lost at least 70% of its primary vegetation. ==== Translations ==== === References === === Further reading === biodiversity hotspot on Wikipedia.Wikipedia “biodiversity hotspot” under “hot spot, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, December 2022.