9.7 Analyzing The Science

Biodiversity hotspots are regions of the world that are of particular importance to global biodiversity both because of the total number of species they contain and because of the number of endemic species they have.

The map below shows the location of biodiversity hotspots around the world as well as the human population density.

INTERPRETATION

Question 9.13

How many of the 25 hotspots include islands?

Question 9.14

Describe the relationship between population density and biodiversity in one or two sentences.

Question 9.15

Can you assume that biodiversity hotspots in highly populated areas are the most at risk? What other factors would you look for?

ADVANCE YOUR THINKING

Question 9.16

Based on what you’ve already learned about human population growth, do you think that any hotspots that are not being threatened by development will become threatened in the next 50 years?

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