Endemism - Citizendia

This article is about the ecological meaning of "endemic". See also endemic (epidemiology). In Epidemiology, an Infection is said to be endemic (from Greek en- in or within + demos people in a Population when

The Orange-breasted Sunbird (Nectarinia violacea)

Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a place. The Orange-breasted Sunbird, Anthobaphes violacea, is a small bird the only member of the genus Anthobaphes although it is sometimes placed in the Genus Ecology (from Greek grc οἶκος oikos, "house(hold" and grc -λογία -logia) is the scientific study of Endemic species are not naturally found elsewhere. The place must be a discrete geographical unit, such as an island, habitat type, or other defined area or zone. A habitat (which is Latin for "it inhabits" is an Ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular Species. For example, the Orange-breasted Sunbird is endemic to Fynbos, meaning it is exclusively found in the Fynbos vegetation type of southwestern South Africa. The Orange-breasted Sunbird, Anthobaphes violacea, is a small bird the only member of the genus Anthobaphes although it is sometimes placed in the Genus Fynbos (ˈfəinbɒs or anglicised as /ˈfeɪnbɒs/ meaning "fine bush" in Afrikaans) is the natural Shrubland or heathland vegetation occurring The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa

There are two subcategories of endemism - paleoendemism and neoendemism. Paleoendemism refers to a species that was formerly widespread but is now restricted to a smaller area. Neoendemism refers to a species that has recently arisen such as a species that has hybridized and is now classified as a separate species. This is a common process in plants especially those which exhibit polyploidy. Polyploidy occurs in cells and Organisms when there are more than two homologous sets of Chromosomes.

An opposite notion is cosmopolitan distribution. In Biogeography, a Biological category of living things is said to have cosmopolitan distribution if this category can be found almost anywhere around the world

Endemic types or species are especially likely to develop on islands because of their geographical isolation. This includes remote island groups, such as Hawaii, the Galápagos Islands and Socotra. Located some 2400 miles (4000 km from the nearest continental shore the Hawaiian Islands are the most isolated group of islands on the planet Socotra or Soqotra ( Arabic سقطرى; Suquṭra) is a small Archipelago of four islands and islets in the Indian Ocean Endemism can also occur in biologically isolated areas such as the highlands of Ethiopia, or large bodies of water like Lake Baikal. NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page Lake Baikal (о́зеро Байка́л Ozero Baykal, ˈozʲɪrə bʌjˈkɑl Байгал нуур Baygal nuur) is in Southern Siberia in Russia

Endemics can easily become endangered or extinct because of their restricted habitat and vulnerability to the actions of man, including the introduction of new organisms. An endangered species is a population of an organism which is at risk of becoming Extinct because it is either few in numbers or threatened by changing environmental or predation An introduced species (also known as naturalized species or exotic species) is an Organism that is not indigenous to a given location but There were millions of both Bermuda Petrels and "Bermuda cedars" (actually junipers) in Bermuda when it was settled at the start of the 17th century. The Bermuda Petrel, Pterodroma cahow, is a gadfly Petrel. Commonly known in Bermuda as the Cahow Juniperus bermudiana is a species of Juniper endemic to Bermuda. Ba (officially The Bermuda Islands or The Somers Isles) is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. By the end of the century, the petrels were thought to be extinct. Cedars, decimated by centuries of shipbuilding, were driven nearly to extinction in the 20th Century by the introduction of a parasite. Both petrels and cedars are very rare today, as are other species endemic or native to Bermuda.

Endemic organisms are not the same as indigenous organisms — a species that is indigenous to somewhere may be native to other locations as well. In Ecology, an indigenous Species is an Organism which is native to a given region or Ecosystem. An introduced species, also known as a naturalized or exotic species, is an organism that is not indigenous to a given place or area. An introduced species (also known as naturalized species or exotic species) is an Organism that is not indigenous to a given location but

Ecoregions with high endemism

According to the World Wildlife Fund, the following ecoregions have the highest percentage of endemic plants:

Fynbos (South Africa)
Hawaii dry forests (United States)
Hawaii tropical moist forests (United States)
Kwongan heathlands (Australia)
Madagascar dry deciduous forests (Madagascar)
Madagascar lowland forests (Madagascar)
New Caledonia dry forests (New Caledonia)
New Caledonia rain forests (New Caledonia)
Sierra Madre de Oaxaca and Sierra Madre del Sur pine-oak forests (Mexico, Guatemala)

Threats to highly endemistic regions

Some of the principal threats to these special ecosystems are:

Large scale logging operations
Slash-and-burn techniques sometimes a part of shifting cultivation
Destruction of habital or vegetation leads to endangering of the endemic species

The above factors are secondary results of world overpopulation. An ecoregion ( ecological region) sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area smaller than a "realm" or " Fynbos (ˈfəinbɒs or anglicised as /ˈfeɪnbɒs/ meaning "fine bush" in Afrikaans) is the natural Shrubland or heathland vegetation occurring The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Hawaiian Tropical Moist Forests Ecoregion home to a high diversity of endemic species The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Kwongan heathlands form an Ecoregion confined to south-western Australia. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Madagascar dry deciduous forests represent a tropical dry forest Ecoregion generally situated in the western part of Madagascar. Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic) is an Island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern The Madagascar lowland forests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest Ecoregion, found on the eastern coast of the island of Madagascar. Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic) is an Island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern For the former North American fur-trading district see New Caledonia (Canada, and for the Scottish colony in Panama see Darien scheme. The New Caledonia rain forests are a Terrestrial ecoregion, located in New Caledonia in the South Pacific. For the former North American fur-trading district see New Caledonia (Canada, and for the Scottish colony in Panama see Darien scheme. The Sierra Madre de Oaxaca pine-oak forests is an Ecoregion of southern Mexico. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest Logging is the process in which Trees are cut down for Forest management and Timber. Slash and burn consists of cutting and burning of Forests or Woodlands to create fields for Agriculture or Pasture for Livestock, or For methods see Slash and burn Shifting cultivation is an Agricultural system in which plots of land are cultivated temporarily then abandoned Overpopulation refers to a condition where an Organism 's numbers exceed the Carrying capacity of its Habitat.