How do deforestation and climate change threaten biodiversity hot spots?

Biodiversity hot spots are critical regions that host a significant number of endangered species and endemic plants, yet they have lost at least 70 percent of their primary vegetation. Deforestation and climate change represent severe, compounding threats to these fragile ecosystems.12

The Impact of Deforestation

Deforestation destroys or degrades habitats by removing essential vegetation, which serves as food and shelter. It also causes habitat fragmentation, where large ecosystems are broken into isolated patches. This fragmentation hinders reproduction by separating populations and increases the risk of mortality as species attempt to move between disconnected areas. Furthermore, clearing forests for agriculture or logging makes the remaining landscape more flammable and vulnerable to droughts, potentially leading to a total loss of forest cover.34

The Impact of Climate Change

Climate change alters seasonal patterns and temperatures, challenging the adaptive capacity of species. Rising temperatures threaten specialist species, such as those in cloud forests, by shifting their required environmental conditions to higher elevations. Additionally, climate change exacerbates the spread of infectious diseases and increases the frequency of extreme weather, which can devastate ecosystems like coral reefs.2

When combined, these stresses create a significantly greater threat than either factor alone, accelerating biodiversity loss and increasing the risk of extinction.23