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Key Biodiversity Areas of the Seychelles
islands
The 115 Seychelles islands cover an area of over a million
square kilometers in the western Indian Ocean, lying within the Madagascar region
biodiversity hotspot. 7,200 species of animal, plant and fungi have been recorded
from the islands, including several famous species such as the Aldabra giant tortoise Dipsochelys dussumieri
and the coco-de-mer palm Lodoicea maldivica. Endemism is exceptionally
high at over 60% for animals in general and 50% for plants. A large proportion
of the genera are endemic and there is one endemic family of tree, represented
by the Critically Endangered jellyfish tree Medusagyne oppositifolia (Medusagynaceae)
and an ancient endemic family of frogs (Sooglossidae). Many of the endemic species
show remarkable adaptations to their island life, from tadpole carrying frogs
to carrion feeding caddisflies.
‘Key Biodiversity Areas of the Seychelles islands’ provides the
first comprehensive review of the sites of conservation importance in the islands.
48 sites are identified and described.
This book is based on the analysis published in 2008 as in the Open Conservation Journal: Setting conservation priorities: a Key Biodiversity Areas analysis for the Seychelles islands