2. MESOAMERICA
• Is the third largest among the world’s hotspots
• Well known for their reefs
3. DIVERSITY AND ENDEMISM
Taxonomic Group Species Endemic Species Percent Endemism
Plants 17,000 2,941 17.3
Mammals 440 66 15.0
Birds 1,113 208 18.7
Reptiles 692 240 34.7
Amphibians 555 358 64.5
Freshwater Fishes 509 340 66.8
4. ANIMALS
Endemic (adj) – regularly found, among particular people or in a certain area
• Mammals - Roughly 440 species and more than 65 of these are endemic
• Birds – nearly 1,120 different species of birds and only 20 are endemic
• Reptiles – more than 690 species and nearly 240 are endemic
• Amphibians – over 550 species, 350 of which are endemic
• Freshwater Fish – more than 500 species, 350 of them are endemic
5. THREATS AND HUMAN IMPACTS
• With the arrival of Cortez, indigenous populations were decimated by disease, warfare,
slavery, and agricultural clearings
• It is estimated that between 1980 and 1990 that 80 percent of the area’s original habitat
has been cleared or severely modified
• Oil, timber, and mineral extraction also are big threats to these forests
