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June 21, 2005
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Conservation International and Intel Re-Launch Comprehensive Web Site on World’s Biodiversity Hotspots
Site is rich resource of scientific information about biodiversity
Washington, DC —Conservation International’s Center for Applied Biodiversity Science (CABS) and Intel Corporation today announced the re-launch of www.biodiversityhotspots.org, a vividly designed Web site containing detailed and updated information about the world’s biodiversity hotspots. Nine new hotspots also have been added to the original list of 25.
Biodiversity hotspots are 34 regions worldwide characterized by remarkable levels of endemism, or having a vast diversity of native species. Today, these last remaining corners of biodiversity face exceptional levels of threat.
“The biodiversity hotspots tell us where, as a global conservation organization, we need to prioritize our resources most urgently in order to achieve maximum conservation impact,” said Russell Mittermeier, president of Conservation International. “We use the best available science to inform all our conservation priorities. Part of our responsibility lies in communicating to an international audience what are these priorities.”
With this in mind, the updated Web site is designed to serve as a valuable educational resource for conservationists, regional planners, government policy makers, teachers, professors and students. The site showcases detailed information on each of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, including aspects of each hotspot’s unique and threatened biodiversity, human impacts, and conservation responses underway by the conservation community.
The most significant feature of the new Web site is a searchable database of terrestrial vertebrate species in the hotspot areas. The advanced search functionality enables users to determine which species are endemic to hotspots or that are facing risk of extinction.
The nine new hotspots, added to the original list of 25, include regions such as the Eastern Afromontane Hotspot, which takes in the Ethiopian Highlands and the Albertine Rift, and the nation of Japan. As Conservation International continues to collect more information about the hotspots, it will be added to the Web site, thus keeping it current.
The remaining intact habitat in the hotspots, which originally covered nearly 16 percent of the Earth’s surface, an area equivalent in size to Russia and Australia combined, now covers only 2.3 percent of the Earth’s surface (roughly equivalent to the combined areas of the five largest U.S. states). As evidence of the tremendous opportunity and urgency of conserving these hotspots, analyses show that an estimated 50 percent of all vascular plants and 42 percent of terrestrial vertebrates exist only in these 34 regions. Of even greater concern is that three-quarters of the planet’s most threatened mammals, birds and amphibians survive only in these hotspots.
The comprehensive site is supported by a generous grant from Intel Corporation.
“It’s a great honor for Intel to partner with CI in its efforts to conserve global biodiversity,” said Tim Mohin, director of sustainable development for Intel. “Intel is committed to creating ‘genius in biodiversity’, educating people around the world about the importance of biodiversity and the need to conserve it. The goal of this site is to use today’s digital technology to inform and train tomorrow’s leaders to save these amazing places.”
Intel provides overall support for CI’s biodiversity conservation efforts focusing on issues related to climate change. Since 1994, the company has worked with CI to connect scientists and conservationists around the world by providing information technology tools and training.
Intel Corporation and its subsidiaries are committed to achieving high standards of environmental quality and product safety, and providing a safe and healthful workplace for our employees, contactors and communities. For additional information about Intel’s Corporate Environmental Health and Safety Division, visit Intel's Web site
CONTACT
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Julian Teixeria
CELB
202-912-1454
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Conservation International’s Center for Environmental Leadership in Business (CELB) provides a new forum for collaboration between the private sector and the environmental community. Created in partnership with Conservation International (CI) and the Ford Motor Company, CELB operates as a division of CI and is governed by a distinct executive board of leaders from the business and environmental communities-engaging the private sector worldwide in creating solutions to critical global environmental problems in which industry plays a defining role. For further information about CELB, please visit celb.org.
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MEDIA CONTACT
Katrin Olson
CELB
[email protected]
703-341-2768
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