The Southeast United States was recently identified as a key area for national protection of species biodiversity by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
According to Southern Environment, “researchers mapped the ranges of species within six groups: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, freshwater fish, and trees, and then compared those ranges to existing protected lands. The data revealed a geographic mismatch. Protected lands are primarily in the western states, but biodiversity is greatest in the Southeast, where far less land is protected.”
The Southeast scored high as a focal region for native biodiversity as it hosts the most endemic species in the country.
To read the complete study, click HERE.
Gordon Spears they touch on that on the original piece
It is hardly surprising the the southeast has the greatest species diversity, since it also has the highest primary productivity.