Countries (cf. Fig. 3; Gleich et al. 2000; Groombridge and Jenkins 2002; Hobohm
2014).
Assuming that the global vascular plant flora contains 236–436,000 species and
assuming that Brazil and China do not share a high percentage value of their national
floras, then these two countries alone may harbour 20–37% of all vascular plant
species (Hobohm 2014; Hobohm et al. 2019).
Round about 65% of the countries are inhabited by 10 endemic vertebrates or
less. 14% harbour more than 100 species. For endemic plants, 47% of the countries
harbour less than 100 species in contrast to 12% with more than 2000 endemics.
16% of the countries with the largest numbers of endemic vertebrates are home to
10,409 or 87% of the endemics. The remaining 84% of the countries harbour 13% of
the vertebrates which are national endemics (1554). 12% of the countries (22) with
the most endemic plants (173,657 in total) harbour 77% and, thus, a number more
than three times higher than the sum of the remaining 88% countries, which harbour
50,579 endemic plants (23%).
Threatened biota (cf. CR in IUCN 2019) show similar distribution patterns as
species richness in total (see e.g., Darwin 1839, 1859; Kato 2000; Groombridge and
Jenkins 2002; Hobohm 2014).
78 of 188 countries in the sample are home to less than 10 critically endangered
species, while 16 countries harbour more than 100 critically endangered species
each, (cf. regularly updated Tables 6–8 of the IUCN statistics on the internet). The
distribution shows a high variance with a few very high values at its top (e.g., USA
including Hawaiian Islands: 472, Ecuador including Galapagos Islands:
353, Madagascar: 344).
Thus, a small number of countries represent very high species richness, endemism and endangerment of their biota.
The correlations of natural richness, endemism and endangerment are highly
significant. This means that countries with many species in general are home to
more endemic species, and threatened species than countries with low biodiversity.
4.3 Relationship Between Economic Power and Pressure
on Biodiversity
We used GDP, GDP per capita and Gini, which is strongly correlated with Palma, as
indicators for the economy of a country, species richness of vascular plants in total,
the number of mammal and breeding birds, the number of endemic vascular plants
and number of endemic vertebrate species (excl. fish) as indicators for natural
richness, area, centroids of longitude and latitude and human population as geographical factors, and the number of critically endangered (CR) species (all taxa of
the IUCN Red List) as indicator for pressure to the nature (response variable). For
188 countries we got non-zero values for CR.
We calculated numerous MLR to find combinations with high adjusted R
2 and
preferably low numbers of variables (cf. Hoffmann 2004).
Economy on Top, Nature on the Brink? A Closer Look on the Relationship Between. . .
209
2014).
Assuming that the global vascular plant flora contains 236–436,000 species and
assuming that Brazil and China do not share a high percentage value of their national
floras, then these two countries alone may harbour 20–37% of all vascular plant
species (Hobohm 2014; Hobohm et al. 2019).
Round about 65% of the countries are inhabited by 10 endemic vertebrates or
less. 14% harbour more than 100 species. For endemic plants, 47% of the countries
harbour less than 100 species in contrast to 12% with more than 2000 endemics.
16% of the countries with the largest numbers of endemic vertebrates are home to
10,409 or 87% of the endemics. The remaining 84% of the countries harbour 13% of
the vertebrates which are national endemics (1554). 12% of the countries (22) with
the most endemic plants (173,657 in total) harbour 77% and, thus, a number more
than three times higher than the sum of the remaining 88% countries, which harbour
50,579 endemic plants (23%).
Threatened biota (cf. CR in IUCN 2019) show similar distribution patterns as
species richness in total (see e.g., Darwin 1839, 1859; Kato 2000; Groombridge and
Jenkins 2002; Hobohm 2014).
78 of 188 countries in the sample are home to less than 10 critically endangered
species, while 16 countries harbour more than 100 critically endangered species
each, (cf. regularly updated Tables 6–8 of the IUCN statistics on the internet). The
distribution shows a high variance with a few very high values at its top (e.g., USA
including Hawaiian Islands: 472, Ecuador including Galapagos Islands:
353, Madagascar: 344).
Thus, a small number of countries represent very high species richness, endemism and endangerment of their biota.
The correlations of natural richness, endemism and endangerment are highly
significant. This means that countries with many species in general are home to
more endemic species, and threatened species than countries with low biodiversity.
4.3 Relationship Between Economic Power and Pressure
on Biodiversity
We used GDP, GDP per capita and Gini, which is strongly correlated with Palma, as
indicators for the economy of a country, species richness of vascular plants in total,
the number of mammal and breeding birds, the number of endemic vascular plants
and number of endemic vertebrate species (excl. fish) as indicators for natural
richness, area, centroids of longitude and latitude and human population as geographical factors, and the number of critically endangered (CR) species (all taxa of
the IUCN Red List) as indicator for pressure to the nature (response variable). For
188 countries we got non-zero values for CR.
We calculated numerous MLR to find combinations with high adjusted R
2 and
preferably low numbers of variables (cf. Hoffmann 2004).
Economy on Top, Nature on the Brink? A Closer Look on the Relationship Between. . .
209