The paper "Threatened Biotas: 'Hot Spots' in Tropical Forests" by Norman Myers identifies 10 areas within tropical forests that are characterized by exceptional concentrations of endemic species and are experiencing rapid depletion. These "hotspot" areas, comprising less than 3.5% of the remaining primary forests, harbor over 34,000 endemic plant species (27% of all plant species in tropical forests and 13% worldwide) and potentially 700,000 endemic animal species. Despite their small size, these areas are likely to lose 90% of their forest cover by the end of the century, leading to the extinction of nearly 7% of Earth's plant species and a similar proportion of animal species. The paper emphasizes the importance of focusing conservation efforts on these areas to address the impending mass extinction in tropical forests. However, the analysis is constrained by a lack of basic data, particularly on animal species. The author highlights the high levels of endemism and ecological specialization in tropical forests, making these species particularly vulnerable to extinction.The paper "Threatened Biotas: 'Hot Spots' in Tropical Forests" by Norman Myers identifies 10 areas within tropical forests that are characterized by exceptional concentrations of endemic species and are experiencing rapid depletion. These "hotspot" areas, comprising less than 3.5% of the remaining primary forests, harbor over 34,000 endemic plant species (27% of all plant species in tropical forests and 13% worldwide) and potentially 700,000 endemic animal species. Despite their small size, these areas are likely to lose 90% of their forest cover by the end of the century, leading to the extinction of nearly 7% of Earth's plant species and a similar proportion of animal species. The paper emphasizes the importance of focusing conservation efforts on these areas to address the impending mass extinction in tropical forests. However, the analysis is constrained by a lack of basic data, particularly on animal species. The author highlights the high levels of endemism and ecological specialization in tropical forests, making these species particularly vulnerable to extinction.