The concept of 'biodiversity hotspots' was originally formulated by which environmental scientist to identify terrestrial regions characterized by high endemic plant species undergoing severe habitat loss, a classification directly applicable to the forests of Arunachal Pradesh?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Norman Myers introduced the concept of biodiversity hotspots in 1988 to identify critical biogeographic regions rich in endemic life forms facing severe habitat destruction. Alfred Russel Wallace pioneered biogeographic realms and the Wallace Line, Alexander von Humboldt founded plant geography and climatology, and Ernst Haeckel coined the term ecology.