A biodiversity hotspot is a region with significant levels of biodiversity that is threatened with destruction. To qualify as a hotspot, a region must meet two criteria: it must contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants (> 0.5 percent of the world's total) as endemics, and it must have lost at least 70% of its primary vegetation. These sites support nearly 60% of the world's plant, bird, mammal, reptile, and amphibian species, with a very high share of endemic species. One hotspot can include multiple ecoregions. (drafted/ Source: Conservation International)