Science

Australia is home to some of the most unique species on Earth. In fact, we are a biodiversity hotspot. Around the world, 36 areas qualify as hotspots. They represent just 2.4% of Earth’s land surface, but they support more than half of the world’s plant species as endemics — i.e., species found no place else — and nearly 43% of bird, mammal, reptile and amphibian species as endemics. Today, species are going extinct at the fastest rate since the mass extinction of the dinosaurs, so it is more important than ever to protect biodiversity.

As it was National Threatened Species Day last week, and saving threatened species is vital to conserving  biodiversity, the College featured a new threatened species each day during biodiversity month.