Source: PIRATE MEDIA, 6/7/22

As eastern North Carolina continues to grow, local faculty and biologists discuss the importance of the region’s biodiversity and efforts made to conserve its diverse plant and wildlife. In 2016, the North American Coastal Plain was named the 36th global biodiversity hotspot by environmental nonprofit Conservation International. According to Conservation International, global biodiversity hotspots must have at least 1,500 species of vascular plants that are endemic to the regiont. The hotspot must also have 30% or less of its natural vegetation, creating a need for conservation efforts, according to Conservation International, and the region of eastern NC was deemed part of this hotspot.

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