Main content
Course: Biodiversity | California Academy of Sciences > Unit 3
Lesson 1: Biodiversity Hotspots- What is a biodiversity hotspot?
- Biodiversity hotspot case study: California
- Biodiversity hotspot case study: Galapagos
- Biodiversity hotspot case study: Gaoligongshan
- Biodiversity hotspot case study: Madagascar
- Biodiversity hotspot case study: Mesoamerica
- Biodiversity hotspot case study: Philippines
- Biodiversity hotspot case study: Sao Tomé
- A closer look at a California hotspot area
- Test your knowledge: biodiversity hotspots
- Exploration questions: biodiversity hotspots
- Activities: biodiversity hotspots
- Glossary: biodiversity hotspots
- Selected references: biodiversity hotspots
- Answers to the exploration questions: biodiversity hotspots
© 2024 Khan AcademyTerms of usePrivacy PolicyCookie Notice
Exploration questions: biodiversity hotspots
Grab your notebook or computer and write out your answer to each of the following questions. Then compare your answer to the suggested answer found in the “Answers to exploration questions” document. Have fun!
Hint: the information needed to answer these questions can be found in the videos and article.
1. In your own words, define what the term “endemic” means, in a few sentences. Give one example of an endemic species.
2. After watching the three Biodiversity Hot Spots case study videos, explain in a few sentences how the three areas are similar in terms of the threats that they face?
3. Your friend comments that hotspots are not that important because hotspots only focus on plants, not animals, and it’s most important to save the animals. Explain in a few sentences why you agree or disagree with your friend’s statement.
Want to join the conversation?
- how should we answer these, incomplete sentences or complete(2 votes)
- how should we answer these, incomplete sentences or complete(1 vote)
- I think complete sentences are more appropriate for people our age and stage.(1 vote)
- Endemic means that something is a kind of precursor and still exists in a particular area. this could be an isolated one or not. These species haven't changed since they were created. an example: Galapagos tortoise.(1 vote)
- Your answer is correct and could've done better myself!(2 votes)
- !SV: 1. - a species that is completely unique, and found no where else except for one specific area. Ex; California Red Wood
2. - São Tomé and Príncipe, Philippines, Mesoamerica have one thing in common; human actives (mostly habitat destruction as far as I know from the videos)
3. - I say my friend is both right and wrong; we need to save both.!
1. The term "endemic" means a species that is completely unique, and found no where else except for one specific area.
An example of this are the "California Red Wood" trees, it's a type of endemic plant found only in the Pacific coast region from southwestern Oregon to northern California.
2. The three video studies I looked into were "São Tomé and Príncipe", the "Philippines", and the "Mesoamerica." they all have one thing in common; human actives, such as habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change. Those are the main three problems.
Take São Tomé and Príncipe for example there are already two active airports which they had to destroy the natural habitats there to make room to build it.
And the Philippines have such a large number of human population (more then 100 million) on such 'small' islands. Destroying the habitats to the point that only 7% of the natural habitats there exist.
And finally Mesoamerica, it's been destroyed so much that 80% of it's wildlife had been killed off or highly modified by us humans.
3. There is no right or wrong answer to this really, we need to protect BOTH if not, even if we did save the endemic plants there would be no primary consumers to eat them to keep the cycle going, and without primary consumers there would be no secondary and tertiary consumers.
But then again if saved only the endemic animals and not focus on the endemic plants, there would be no primary consumers because they have NO producers to eat no PLANTS.
The primary consumers would die out eventually the other consumers would die as well. So I'm in the middle. But if I HAD to chose one I'd disagree with my friend, simply because there would be more damaged done if we just focused on animals and not plants.(1 vote) - 1) Endemic: those organisms which are on the verge of extinct, something that exists only in certain areas.(1 vote)