endemism
Also known as precinctivity
thumb|Both the orange-breasted sunbird (Anthobaphes violacea) and the [[Kniphofia uvaria plant it feeds on are found exclusively in South Africa.]] thumb|Bicolored frog (Clinotarsus curtipes) is endemic to the [[Western Ghats of India.]] thumb|Montezuma Well in the [[Verde Valley of Arizona contains at least five endemic species found exclusively in the sinkhole.]]
AI overview
Endemism refers to a situation where species are found exclusively in one specific geographic location, whether that's a country like South Africa, a region like India's Western Ghats, or even a single natural feature like Arizona's Montezuma Well. Understanding which species are endemic matters because it helps identify places with unique biodiversity that may need special protection and conservation efforts.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
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13 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- History of the concept
- Overview
- Origins
- Subtypes and definitions
- Environments
- Soil
- Caves
- Islands
- Mountains
- Conservation
- References
- External links
thumb|Both the orange-breasted sunbird (Anthobaphes violacea) and the [[Kniphofia uvaria plant it feeds on are found exclusively in South Africa.]] thumb|Bicolored frog (Clinotarsus curtipes) is endemic to the [[Western Ghats of India.]] thumb|Montezuma Well in the [[Verde Valley of Arizona contains at least five endemic species found exclusively in the sinkhole.]]
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, the Cape sugarbird (Promerops cafer) is found exclusively in southwestern South Africa and is therefore said to be endemic to that particular part of the world. An endemic species can also be referred to as an endemism or, in scientific literature, as an endemite.