DISTRIBUTION OF BIODIVERSITY IN THE WORLD

THE VAST MAJORITY OF ALL SPECIES IN THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. NEARLY 50 TO 75 PERCENT OF ALL SPECIES ARE TO BE FOUND IN THE TROPICAL MOIST FORESTS THAT ACCOUNT FOR JUST 6 PERCENT OF THE LAND AREA. A HANDFUL OF SOIL IN A TROPICAL FOREST CONTAINS HUNDREDS OF SPECIES AND MORE THAN A MILLION INDIVIDUAL ORGANISMS.

IN THE TROPICS AND THE SUBTROPICS, WHERE WE FIND MOST OF THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, THERE WAS ALWAYS AN EVOLUTIONARY ACTIVITY GIVING RISE TO A RICH BIODIVERSITY.BIODIVERSITY IS LESS IN THE COLDER NORTHERN REGIONS BECAUSE THE RECURRENT ICE AGES THERE SLOWED DOWN THE PROLIFERATION OF LIFE FORMS.

THE MEGA DIVERSITY COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD ARE : -

AUSTRALIA

ETHIOPIA

PERU

BRAZIL

INDIA

PHILIPPINES

CAMEROON

INDONESIA

SOUTH AFRICA

CHINA

MADAGASCAR

VENENZUELA

COLOMBIA

MALAYSIA

ZAIRE

COSTA RICA

MEXICO

ECUADOR

MYANMAR

THE ABOVE LIST SHOWS THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE WORLD'S BIODIVERSITY IS FOUND IN THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. THE GENETIC DIVERSITY NEEDED TO MAINTAIN THE WORLD AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM IS MAINLY FOUND IN THESE COUNTRIES MOST OF THE MEDICINAL PLANTS TOO ARE FOUND ONLY IN THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. HOWEVER, MOST OF THE BIODIVERSITY DATA HAS BEEN COLLECTED AND ANALYSED IN INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE BASED IN RICHER COUNTRIES.