( CNN ) -- From the forests of Ecuador to the shore of the Aral Sea , in the coming months Earth 's Frontiers will be exploring the rich diversity of life on our planet and the challenges of conservation . How can development and the needs of growing populations be balanced against preserving the Earth 's richest and most fragile ecosystems ? It 's a problem that the world 's biodiversity hotspots are facing , and at stake is the very existence of thousands of species of plants and animals . The world 's 34 recognized biodiversity hotspots only cover 2.3 percent of the Earth 's land surface , and have declined by 70 percent from their original vegetation coverage . But despite the decreasing size of these hotspots they are still home to 50 percent of the world 's plant species . Join Earth 's Frontiers later this month as we examine the battle between progress and preservation and what can be learnt , through biomimicry , from nature 's design .
The Earth 's 34 biodiversity hotspots cover 50 percent of global plant species . Biodiversity may only cover 2.3 percent of global landmass . Conflict between human progress and biodiversity is the greatest battle .