A study published in the scientific journal Nature revealed that New Guinea harbors the most diverse flora in the world, with more than 14,000 plant species identified in the region. This impressive number positions the island as the territory with the greatest variety of plant species globally.
The research showed that a large proportion of these plants is exclusive to the island, with 68% of catalogued species being endemic. This high rate of endemism indicates that many of these plants exist nowhere else on the planet, making New Guinea a biodiversity hotspot of global importance.
The extraordinary diversity of New Guinea's flora is partly due to its privileged geographic location. The island lies at the crossroads between Asia and Australia, benefiting from tropical climatic conditions and a great variety of habitats that favor the existence of multiple plant species.
