Top 10 countries in biodiversity

It is the country with the greatest biodiversity of flora and fauna on the planet. Brazil has the highest number of species of known mammals and freshwater fish, and more than 50,000 species of trees and bushes, it takes first place in plant diversity. Even so, the loss of tropical forest (due to uncontrolled agriculture and logging) is still on the rise.

One of the most diverse countries in the world. It contains nearly 10% of all known species of birds, fish and plants registered in the world and 6% of mammal and reptile species. Poaching and deforestation are problems that this territory rich in bio-diversity must face.

70% of species that inhabit these islands are totally unique in the world. Its great richness of biodiversity goes from lemurs, mongoose, chameleons, bats, foxes... Additionally, during the last decade 40 mammals, 69 amphibians, 61 reptiles, 42 invertebrates and 385 new plants were discovered within its territory. Even so, 75% of its forests have disappeared over the last few decades; therefore urgent measures must be taken to stop this phenomenon.

This country has more species of plants per area unit than any other country in South America. 18% of the total discovered birds in world, 1,655 birds, are found in Ecuador. The 382 mammal species that exist in this country, comprise 7% of the 5,490 species registered in the world. It is, in summary, a rich tropical region, with wetlands, due to its privileged geographic location in the Neotropics, which makes it form part of this privileged list of biodiversity.

Mexico is home to between 10 and 12% of the species of the planet. What is the reason for these fantastic data on biodiversity? Its privileged geographical position, the variety of climates and its complex topography, which have favored a great variety of conditions. In addition, it is one of the countries in the world with the greatest extension of coasts and has an exclusive sea, the Gulf of California, which is the second largest reef in the world.

In its vast extension, the USA has almost 400 National Parks among which we find deserts, glaciers, forests, plains and canyons. According to the climate of each zone, the autochthonous vegetation and animal life, is characterized by the variety. Yosemite, Yellowstone, the Glacier Bay in Alaska, Hawaii ... A paradise in terms of biodiversity.

It is the third largest land area in the world. Its great diversity of landscapes and a great variety of natural resources are distributed in its mountains (which occupy 43% of the territory). It has 30,000 plants and 6,347 vertebrates, representing 10% and 14% of the animals and plants of the world. But, once again, between 15% and 20% of the plants are on the verge of extinction, affecting the survival of up to 40,000 biological species.

The biodiversity of its mountains, its marine life, its indigenous population ... make the Philippines one of the paradises of biodiversity, with its more than 7,100 islands of great vegetable and animal wealth. Unfortunately, their forests suffer the constant exploitation of natural resources, so they must stay alert. The increasingly incessant scourge of typhoons due to climate change is also another factor that may end up destroying this pearl the planet.

The curious thing about Australia is that despite being mostly desert or, at least, semi-arid, it has a great diversity of habitats where tropical forests are also found. Its climates are very variable, but thanks to the isolation in time that it experiences from other continents, it obtains that of 85% of the flowering plants, 84% of the mammals, more than 45% of the birds, and 90% of the fish from temperate coastal areas (where the greatest biodiversity is concentrated) are endemic.