A megadiverse country is one of a group of nations that harbours the majority of Earth's species and high numbers of endemic species. Conservation International identified 17 megadiverse countries in 1998,[1][2] all of which are located at least partially in tropical or subtropical regions.
Megadiversity means exhibiting great biodiversity. The main criterion for megadiverse countries is endemism at the level of species, genera and families. A megadiverse country must have at least 5,000 species of endemic plants and must border marine ecosystems.
In 2002, Mexico formed a separate organization focusing on Like-Minded Megadiverse Countries, consisting of countries rich in biological diversity and associated traditional knowledge. This organization includes all but three megadiverse countries as identified by Conservation International.[3] [failed verification]
- ^ Williams, J. (2001). "Biodiversity Theme Report". environment.gov.au. Archived from the original on December 8, 2008. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
- ^ "Megadiverse Countries definition| Biodiversity A-Z". biodiversitya-z.org.
- ^ "Biodiversity, Australia State of the Environment Report 2001 (Theme Report): The meaning, significance and implications of biodiversity (Megadiverse countries)". environment.gov.au. December 11, 2014. Archived from the original on December 11, 2014. Retrieved July 2, 2018.