How global biodiversity hotspots may go unrecognized: lessons from the North American Coastal Plain

Biodiversity hotspots are conservation priorities. We identify the North American Coastal Plain ( NACP ) as a global hotspot based on the classic definition, a region with > 1500 endemic plant species and > 70% habitat loss. This region has been bypassed in prior designations due to misconceptions and myths about its ecology and history. These fallacies include: (1) young age of the NACP , climatic instability over time and submergence...