The purpose of this group is to gather data on medicinal and nutritional plants in biodiversity "hotspots" regions throughout the world that have lost their natural habitat due to past, and present human activities. You must identify these plants along with their medicinal or nutritional purpose to life.

Use the links provided to gather data and present your findings on the following questions:

1) What is a biodiversity hotspot or Ecological Hotspots?
2) What are vascular plants?
3) List 10 plants that are endangered of becoming extinct in "hotspots" regions and their medicinal or nutritional benefits to humanity and/or the ecosystem.
4) Is sustainable development an attainable solution to reversing "hotspots" regions and simultaneously meet both human and environmental needs?

Sample Student:

I did not realize the amount of medicinal plants we have lost as a result of business developments in tourism.

The knowledge and practice of traditional medicine in North America is as diverse as its cultural diversity.

The knowledge and practice of traditional medicine in South America is as diverse as its cultural heritage and botanical diversity. In an area that is not just home to more species of plants than most other regions on earth, but is equally rich in cultural diversity, the number of plants used for medicines in different ways by different peoples is sheer endless.

The knowledge and practice of traditional medicine in Central America is as diverse as its cultural heritage and botanical diversity. In an area that is not just home to more species of plants than most other regions on earth, but is equally rich in cultural diversity, the number of plants used for medicines in different ways by different peoples is sheer endless.

Sustainable development is economical exploitation specifically structured to satisfy our present needs without reducing the wealth or health of future generations. Since it avoids any kind of irreversible damage, it inevitably assumes that economical growth functions in harmony with the environment and surrounding ecosystems. Under this principle, the amount of available wealth would be the same for each generation.

Hundreds of medicinal plants are at risk of extinction, threatening the discovery of future cures for disease, experts warn.

Biodiversity hotspots were first identified as areas rich in endemic plants and containing a high diversity of species. Their ecosystem was suffering the threats of outsiders and with time, lost most of their original habitat. Today, we are more specific with the identification of hotspots as we apply two specific criteria in their definition.