There are more than 5,000 native plants in the state, 32 percent of all plant species in the United States and a third of all these plants are only found in California. This is just one example of why California is globally recognized as one of only 36 biodiversity hotspots in the world. Plants and other species are the building blocks of life on Earth and support the incredibly unique ecosystems that make California special. California is also a hotspot of biodiversity loss from human-threats s