What animals and plants live in the Caucasus Mountains?
Fauna richness is high; characteristic mammals include the East Caucasian tur (Capra cylindricornis), West Caucasian tur (Capra caucasica) – endemic species of the Greater Caucasus range, chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra), Caucasian red deer (Cervus elaphus maral), wild goat (Capra aegagrus), mouflon (Ovis orientalis …
What type of mountain is Caucasus?
While the Greater Caucasus Mountains have a mainly folded sedimentary structure, the Lesser Caucasus Mountains are largely of volcanic origin. The Javakheti Volcanic Plateau in Georgia and the surrounding volcanic ranges which extend well into central Armenia are some of the youngest features of the region.
Who lives in the Caucasus Mountains?
Slavic groups account for more than one-third of the total population of the Caucasus; they live in the north and consist mainly of Russians and Ukrainians. Finally, there are such Indo-European groups as Kurds, Talysh, Tats, Greeks, and Roma (Gypsies) distributed in various areas of the Caucasus.
Why is Caucasus a biodiversity hotspot?
CAUCASUS ECOREGION The Caucasus is one of the most biologically rich regions on Earth. Home to an unusually high number of endemic plant and animal species, it ranks as one of the world’s biodiversity “hotspots” according to both Conservation International and WWF.
What is being done to protect Caucasus?
The WWF says the main aim of the cross-border cooperation is to link the individual protected areas with a so-called green corridor, create networks for the ecological and social development of the region, and finally offer endangered animals species, such as the leopard, sufficient living space.
Why is southwest Australia under threat?
Threats and solutions Land clearing for agriculture remains the number one threat to the survival of animal and plant species in Australia, especially in the southwest. Logging, invasive species, salinity and climate change are also taking a serious toll on this fragile environment.
How is southwest Australia being protected?
Protecting the Southwest, forever Our main aim is to secure UNESCO World Heritage Listing for the entire Southwest Australian Biodiversity Hotspot, focusing on national parks and existing reserves, without impinging on farming, forestry and mining activities.
What biome is southwest Australia?
Its major vegetation types are woody and include the temperate forests of the deep southwest; woodlands, mallee and shrublands of the temperate and semi-arid zones; kwongan heathlands; and other habitats such as naturally saline wetlands and granite outcrops.
Why is Australia a biodiversity hotspot?
Australia may be the driest continent on Earth, but it is still home to some amazing biodiversity. The country’s southwest corner is one region that is recognized as a global biodiversity “hotspot” with outstanding natural environments whose protection is essential.
How many biodiversity hotspots are there in the world?
36 biodiversity hotspots
What are global hotspots?
A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region that is both a significant reservoir of biodiversity and is threatened with destruction. The term biodiversity hotspot specifically refers to 25 biologically rich areas around the world that have lost at least 70 percent of their original habitat.
Is Brazil a biodiversity hotspot?
Brazil is the most biologically diverse country in the world. It contains two biodiversity hotspots (the Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado), six terrestrial biomes and three large marine ecosystems.
Why Brazil is the Earth’s biodiversity champion?
Brazil is the Earth’s biodiversity champion. Between the Amazon rainforest and Mata Atlantica forest, the woody savana-like cerrado, the massive inland swamp known as the Pantanal, and a range of other terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, Brazil leads the world in plant and amphibian species counts.
Why is Brazil so biodiverse?
It contains two biodiversity hotspots (the Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado), six terrestrial biomes and three large marine ecosystems. It is estimated that Brazil hosts between 15-20% of the world’s biological diversity, with the greatest number of endemic species on a global scale.
Why is the Atlantic Forest a biodiversity hotspot?
Despite large areas of the Atlantic Forest being degraded and lost, a lush biodiversity and a rich collection of endemic species are still the main features of the remaining forest area. About 40% of the vascular plants and 60% of the vertebrate species living here are endemic to the region.
Is Mata Atlantica a rainforest?
From North Brazil to Uruguay, the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest, also called Mata Atlantica, is a narrow “green” corridor along the coast. Highly threatened by deforestation, it is today one of the most endangered forests in the world, with only 7% of its original surface left.
What animals live in the Atlantic Forest?
Some of the Atlantic Forest’s most charismatic species include the golden lion tamarin, wooly spider monkey, red-tailed parrot, and maned three-toed sloth. Plants: The Atlantic Forest of Brazil is also home to around 20,000 species of plants, representing 8% of the Earth’s plants.
How many species are there in the Atlantic Forest?
20,000 species
What is destroying the Atlantic Forest?
As a result of logging, urban development and the spread of invasive species, the once-imposing Atlantic Forest has become a fragile ecosystem that we are in grave danger of losing forever.
Do people live in the Atlantic rainforest?
The Atlantic Forest runs along the eastern coast of Brazil, stretching inland into Argentina and Paraguay. The ecoregion encompasses major cities like Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo and is home to more than 148 million people.
What type of forest is the Atlantic Forest?
The Atlantic Forest has ecoregions within the following biome categories: seasonal moist and dry broad-leaf tropical forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands, and mangrove forests. The Atlantic Forest is characterized by a high biodiversity and endemism.
Why are so many Atlantic Forest birds close to extinction?
Because most of the region’s forests have been cleared during 500 years of exploitation, many species are now threatened, and at least one is extinct in the wild, the Alagoas curassow (Crax mitu). The species was last sighted in the wild in 1987 and now exists only in a small captive population in Rio de Janeiro.
What is the climate like in the Atlantic Forest?
The affections to the coast Atlantic Rain Forest is rainy, wet and generally high temperate. It affected by the Atlantic ocean tides, so the location is humid all year round, temperature during the 33 degree day and night temperature during 22.
How old is the Atlantic Forest?
60 Million years
What is the human population in the Atlantic Forest?
State of the Atlantic Forest: Three Countries, 148 Million People, One of the Richest Forests on Earth.
Is the Atlantic forest a national park?
Today, only 7% of the original forest remains intact – but it’s still home to an amazing array of species. Itatiaia National Park is the most famous reserve in the Atlantic Forest region, located in Rio de Janeiro, this huge Park protects vast areas of rich Atlantic costal rainforest.
What plants are in Mata Atlantica?
List of plants of Atlantic Forest vegetation of Brazil
- 1 Acanthaceae.
- 2 Amaranthaceae.
- 3 Amaryllidaceae.
- 4 Anacardiaceae.
- 5 Annonaceae.
- 6 Apocynaceae.
- 7 Aquifoliaceae.
- 8 Araceae.
Are there any rainforests in the UK?
Rainforests in the UK are part of the Coastal Temperate Rainforest biome. This habitat is globally rare and some say is more threatened than tropical rainforest. The green areas on the map below show just how rare it is.
What is the average temperature of the Atlantic Forest?
about 22° C
Where is Scotland’s rainforest?
What makes Scotland’s rainforest special? Scotland’s rainforest is made up of the native woodlands found on Scotland’s west coast where consistent levels of rainfall and relatively mild, year-round temperatures provide just the right conditions for some of the world’s rarest mosses, liverworts and lichens.