October 30, 2024
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One in three tree species is at risk of extinction
A survey of 47,282 tree species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature found that more than a third were at risk of extinction.
Ignacio Palacios/Getty Images
Climate wire | According to research by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, more than a third of the world’s tree species are at risk of extinction.
The group said its first global assessment of trees determined that 38 per cent of the species were at risk of extinction.
“This comprehensive assessment provides the first global picture of the state of tree conservation, allowing us to make better-informed conservation decisions and address urgently needed conservation decisions. We can take action to protect our trees,” said Marin Rivers, World Tree Assessment Leader at the Botanic Gardens. Conservation International.
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BGCI collaborated with IUCN on an initiative involving over 100 partners and 1,000 arborists. The IUCN maintains the Red List of Threatened Species, which covers animal, fungal and plant species around the world that are at risk of extinction. The group is an international association of governments and private organizations dedicated to protecting wildlife and promoting sustainable progress.
Experts examined 47,282 tree species and determined that 16,425 (34 percent) are threatened with extinction and classified as Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable on the Red List. .
The group increased its estimate of the number of tree species at risk to 38%, taking into account species that could not be surveyed.
Emily Beech, BGCI’s conservation officer, said: “Some species are extremely restricted, and they are not very abundant, but they are very widespread and endangered, such as the Fraser fir in the United States. “There are some species that are.”
The island’s trees face the greatest threat from increasing risks such as deforestation, invasive species and extreme weather events.
South America has more tree species than anywhere else in the world, with more than 3,000 of the 13,668 tree species at risk of extinction due to cropping and livestock farming. IUCN says their assessment has helped local and national governments plan to conserve seven species of magnolia trees in Colombia.
IUCN announced the findings in Cali, Colombia, where the United Nations’ COP 16 biodiversity summit is currently in its second week.
Tree assessment groups said seed banks and botanical garden collections are critical to preventing extinction, and called for global action to protect and restore trees and their habitats.
“Now that we have the data, we have an obligation to act,” Beach said.
This story first appeared in E&E News PM.
Reprinted from E&E News Published with permission of POLITICO, LLC. Copyright 2024. E&E News provides news that matters to energy and environment professionals.
