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Hot Spot: Madagascar & The Indian Ocean Islands. Addie Laurente Sai Mandalapu Pete Deegan Sydney Gilbert. Why it’s a “Hot Spot”. natural environment h igh biodiversity contains large number of endangered species . Endangered Species (that live only here): 8 plant families:
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Hot Spot: Madagascar & The Indian Ocean Islands Addie Laurente SaiMandalapu Pete Deegan Sydney Gilbert
Why it’s a “Hot Spot” • natural environment high biodiversity • contains large number of endangered species. • Endangered Species (that live only here): • 8 plant families: • 5 primate families • 4 bird families • 50 + lemur species
Unique Biodiversity • Of the 13,000 species of plants, 11,600 are endemic. • The islands contain 155 species of mammals, 144 of them are endemic. • Of the 300 different bird species, 60% are endemic. • 384 reptile species are found on the islands and 367 of them are endemic to the area. • There are 230 species of amphibians and 229 are endemic. • There are 164 species of fish and 97 are endemic.
Human Impacts • humans arrived on the islands 1,500-2,000 years ago so native animals were naïve and easily killed by colonists • The islands' location made them important points on trade routes and great for pirates • Imported agricultural techniques have destroyed the islands’ vegetation, and only 17 percent of Madagascar’s original vegetation remains • Hunting and timber extraction, industrial and small-scale mining are growing threats, along with the quickly rising population • Animals brought to the island such as rats, cats and mongooses have devastated native populations of birds and small reptiles.
