American Scientist

The "hotspots" strategy for conserving plant and animal species focuses conservation efforts on 25 areas (mostly tropical and Mediterranean) where biological diversity is greatly threatened. These regions cover only 1.4 percent of the earth's land surface, but they account for more than 60 percent of its biodiversity, containing 131,399 endemic vascular plant species. Hotspots: Earth's Biologically Richest and Most Endangered Terrestrial Ecoregions (CEMEX Conservation International, $65), by Russell A. Mittermeier, Norman Myers, Patricio Robles Gil and Cristina Goettsch Mittermeier, demonstrates how important these regions are to global efforts to conserve biodiversity. Biological and cultural information is provided about each area, and the forces that threaten it are described. Hundreds of breathtaking color photographs of plant, animal and human life in the regions show vividly what is at stake.