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HOTSPOTS IN DANGER
source: http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org/
xp/Hotspots/hotspotsScience/
pages/hotspots_revisited.aspx
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Habitat destruction is a pervasive threat affecting hotspots and is already causing extinctions in many areas…
- accelerating anthropogenic climate change will undoubtedly magnify the effects of habitat destruction and fragmentation;
- predatory invasive species have already had a devastating impact on the island hotspots, where species evolved in the absence of animals such as cats and rats;
- introduction of exotic plant species into hotspots, particularly those of Mediterranean-type vegetation, is also having massive ecosystem effects;
- direct exploitation of species for food, medicine, and the pet trade is a serious threat to all hotspots, particularly in the Guinean Forests of West Africa and several Asian hotspots;
- another grave concern is the severe decline of amphibians worldwide, the cause of which remains unknown.
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