Global distribution of biodiversity

Explore how life is found almost everywhere on Earth, but is not distributed evenly. And learn why the clumped distributions of species are the result of a wide variety of both natural and human-driven factors. This content is provided by the California Academy of Sciences.

What is a biodiversity hotspot?

How biodiversity is distributed globally

Why biodiversity is distributed unevenly

New localities lead to new biodiversity

Tropical rainforest diversity

Simpson's index of diversity