Endemic Species

An endemic species is one that is found naturally in only one geographical location and nowhere else on Earth. Endemism is the state of being endemic.Endemism is an important part of biodiversity, alongside species richness. When biologists compare areas for conservation, they consider not only how many species an area has, but also how many of them are endemic. Two areas with the same species richness are not equally valuable if one has many species that exist nowhere else.The proportion of endemic species is highest in isolated places, where populations have evolved separately for a long time, such as:1. Islands: over 80% of Madagascar's plant species and nearly all its reptiles and amphibians are endemic, as are all its lemurs.2. Isolated lakes, such as the African Great Lakes with their cichlid fish.3. Mountain tops and isolated springs.Endemic species are especially important in conservation because they are vulnerable to extinction:1. Their range is small, so a single threat, such as deforestation, an introduced predator or disease, or climate change, can affect the whole species at once.2. Many have small populations with low genetic diversity, so they are less able to adapt to change.3. Island species often evolved without large predators or competitors, and may lack defences against introduced species.If an endemic species is lost from its one location, it is lost from the whole planet. For this reason, areas rich in endemic species, known as biodiversity hotspots, are often given priority when deciding where to spend limited conservation resources.