megadiversity

n.

A large number and wide range of species; exceptional biological diversity.

— megadiverse adj.

Example Citations:

Only five percent of the coral reefs in the Philippines, one of the world's 17 megadiversity nations, are in excellent condition while the rest are either critically damaged or at risk.

— Blanche Rivera, "RP hosts 'Oceans 38' to save world seas," Philippine Daily Inquirer, March 30, 2006

Aware of Mexico's position as one of the 17 countries considered to have megadiversity, Mexico ratified the [Convention on Biological Diversity] in 1993, one year after its introduction at the landmark U.N. Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

— Talli Nauman, "Thousands try to administer 'all life on earth'," El Universal, April 15, 2006

Earliest Citation:

Russell Mittermeier of World Wildlife Fund favors focusing first on the "megadiversity" countries — the 13 countries that house some 60% of the world's species.

— Leslie Roberts, "Hard choices ahead on biodiversity: with many species on the verge of extinction, biologists call for a quick and dirty survey to chart the biodiversity of the planet," Science, September 30, 1988

Notes:

The 17 megadiversity countries are: Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, United States, and Venezuela.

Related Words:

biopiracy

charismatic megafauna

frozen zoo

Jurassic Park syndrome

megashed

neurodiversity

pseudoextinction

Categories:

Biology

Geography