Biodiversity hotspots are a method to identify those regions o f the world where attention is needed to address biodiversity loss and to guide investments in conservation. The idea was first developed by Norman Myers in 1988 to identify tropical forests hotspots characterised both by exceptional levels o f plant endemism and serious habitat loss which he then expanded to a more global scope. Currently, 34 biodiversity hotspots have been identified most of which occur in tropical forests.