Read Where Biodiversity Matters Most
Conservation priorities reflect both irreplaceable biodiversity and the benefits ecosystems provide.
Living-system questions are solved by matching a structure or organism to its function, process and stated condition.
Recognise a hotspot
A biodiversity hotspot combines high species richness and endemism with severe habitat loss. The three clues in the sample are high endemism, high biodiversity and accelerated habitat loss.
Separate services from products
Pollination, oxygen production, flood control and aesthetic benefits are examples of ecosystem services in the sample. Coir, medicines, furniture, fruits and dyes are direct-use products rather than services in this particular count.
Recognise the numeric hotspot threshold
A qualifying hotspot must contain at least 0.5% of global plant diversity (about 1,500 endemic plant species when the global total is 300,000) and have lost more than 70% of its original habitat. Check both thresholds; high endemism alone is not enough.
OlympIQ exam lens
- ✓Hotspot → high endemism + high biodiversity + rapid habitat loss.
- ✓Ecosystem services differ from harvested products.
- ✓Read the question’s exact list before counting.
Some benefits can be classified differently across frameworks; follow the wording and categories used in the question.
Ready to try the pattern?
100% coverage across the 2 linked questions.
Practise 2 linked questions