Endemism

Endemism is when a living thing, like a plant or animal, is found only in one special place, such as an island, a state, a nation, or a country. These living things cannot be found anywhere else in the world. For example, the Cape sugarbird lives only in southwestern South Africa, so it is considered endemic to that area.

Endemism is very important for scientists who study how to protect nature and animals. It helps them understand how many different kinds of plants and animals live in one place and how likely they are to disappear. Endemism also helps scientists learn about how animals and plants change over time when their environment changes.

Some animals and plants are found all over the world, which is the opposite of being endemic. These are called cosmopolitan species. There are also other words that sometimes mean the same as endemic, like "precinctive," but these words are not used as often.

Etymology

History of the concept

The word endemic comes from a Latin word that means "native." It started being used in biology in 1872 by Charles Darwin to describe animals and plants that live only in one special place.

Some scientists have used another word, precinctive, instead of endemic. This word was created in 1900 by David Sharp when he studied insects in Hawaii. He felt the word endemic was too closely linked to diseases, so he chose a different term. Later, in 1917, a botanist named Vaughan MacCaughey also used precinctive in Hawaii.

Overview

A species is called endemic when it lives only in one special place and nowhere else. This can be a small island, a mountain, or even a whole country. For example, some birds might only be found on one island and not anywhere else in the world.

Endemic species often live in places that are hard to reach, like faraway islands or deep lakes. When animals or plants can't move to new areas easily, they stay in one place and change over time to become unique to that area. This is why many special plants and animals are found only on islands like Hawaii or in places like Lake Baikal.

Some places can protect species during big changes in the climate, like ice ages, allowing those species to survive only in those areas. These are called paleoendemic species. Other new species that haven't spread far are called neoendemic species.

Subtypes and definitions

Endemism means a plant or animal lives only in one special place, like an island or a country. Scientists have different names for this depending on how the species came to live only in that place.

Some types include paleoendemics, which used to live in many places but now live only in a small area. Neoendemics are new species that have just started to live only in one place. There are also many other special ways scientists describe how a species can be endemic to one area.

Environments

Some places are special because they help certain plants and animals live only there. These places can be isolated, like islands or mountains, which make it easier for unique species to develop and stay there.

Serpentine soils are a type of soil that is poor in nutrients and can be found in places like the Balkan Peninsula, Turkey, the Alps, and parts of the United States. These soils help create conditions where only certain plants can grow.

Caves also help some animals live only in one place. Because caves are isolated, animals that live in them can become special to just that cave.

Islands are great at creating unique species. For example, the tiny Devil's Hole pupfish lives only in a small spring in Nevada. Other island-like places, such as the Socotra Archipelago in Yemen, also have animals found nowhere else on Earth.

Mountains can act like islands in the sky. Plants and animals that live on mountain peaks can be found only there because of the cool climate. For example, a special plant called Saxifraga florulenta lives only in the Alpes-Maritimes area of France. Volcanoes, like the Kula Volcano in Turkey, also have plants that grow only on them because of their unique conditions.

Conservation

Endemic species, those found only in one place, can be more at risk because their homes are limited. This makes them more likely to be in danger or disappear, especially with quick changes in the world's weather. Some scientists think that finding these special species can help us choose important areas to protect.

The idea of using endemic species to find important places for protection was first suggested in 1973. To do this well, we need to know exactly where the species live and that their classification is clear.

In the year 2000, some scientists picked out 25 places around the world where many plants grow only in that spot. These places are very important for protecting nature.

The World Wildlife Fund divided the world into areas called ecoregions. These areas try to include many species that live only there. Because these areas have many special species, many national parks were created to help keep them safe. For example, Caparaó National Park in the Atlantic Forest in Brazil was made to protect valuable and vulnerable species.

Some scientists think that using endemism to measure how rich an area is in life might not always work well. They found that areas with many special species do not always match up with areas that are in danger. However, others argue that using these special areas can still be useful for protection.

Other ways to help protect these special species include keeping some of them in zoos or botanical gardens. This can give them a safe place and also let scientists study them better.