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Even as more new species are found, Southeast Asia is in the grip of a biodiversity crisis

Rich in wildlife, Southeast Asia includes at least six of the world’s 25 “biodiversity hotspots” – the areas of the world that contain an exceptional concentration of species, and are exceptionally endangered. The region contains 20% of the planet’s vertebrate and plant species and the world’s third-largest tropical forest.

In addition to this existing biodiversity, the region has an extraordinary rate of species discovery, with more than 2,216 new species described between 1997 and 2014 alone.

Global comparisons are difficult but it seems the Mekong region has a higher rate of species discovery than other parts of the tropics, with hundreds of new species described annually.

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Additional Info

Field Value
Document type Analysis, discussion papers, and blogs
Language of document
  • English
Topics
  • Biodiversity
  • Deforestation drivers
  • Ecosystems
  • Environment and natural resources
Geographic area (spatial range)
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Cambodia
  • China
  • Timor-Leste
  • Indonesia
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • Malaysia
  • Myanmar
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • Thailand
  • Viet Nam
Copyright Yes
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Version / Edition 2017
License CC-BY-ND-4.0
Contact

Alice Catherine Hughes Associate Professor in Landscape Ecology & Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Author (individual) Alice Catherine Hughes
Publication date 2017
Pagination 1
Keywords species discovery,South East Asia,wildlife trade,habitat loss
Date uploaded June 27, 2018, 18:55 (UTC)
Date modified June 29, 2018, 10:59 (UTC)