• Andes' biodiversity:hotspots remain unprotected
• Posted By MonicaTN 02 Feb
• Environment

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Around 80 percent of the Andes’ most biodiverse and important ecosystems are unprotected according to a new paper published in the open-access journal BMC Ecology. Looking at a broad range of ecosystems across the Andes in Peru and Bolivia, the study found that 226 endemic species, those found no-where else, were afforded no protection whatsoever. Yet time is running out, as Andean ecosystems are undergoing incredible strain: a combination of climate change and habitat destruction may be pushing many species into ever-shrinking pockets of habitat until they literally have no-where to go.

"Biodiversity in the Andes is under threat from oil and gold mining, infrastructure projects, illegal crops, and many other activities. There is already evidence of species migrating upslope to keep up with climate change in this region," explains lead author Jennifer Swenson with Duke University. "Conservation across the Andes needs urgent revising and we hope that our data will help protect this incredibly unique region."

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From: Mongabay.com