Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities

Consenrationists are far from able to assist all species under threat, if o nly for lack of funding. This places a premium on priorities: how can we su pport the most species at the least cost? One way is to identify 'biodivers ity hotspots' where exceptional concentrations of endemic species are under going exceptional loss of habitat. As many as 44% of all species of vascula r plants and 35% of all species in four vertebrate groups are confined to 2 5 hotspots comprising only 1.4% of the land surface of the Earth. This open s the way for a 'silver bullet' strategy on the part of conservation planne rs, focusing on these hotspots in proportion to their share of the world's species at risk.