More than 440 species of trees from around the world are on the verge of extinction, which means that there are fewer than 50 individuals in the wild. These are the conclusions of the Report on the State of the World’s Trees published by the organization Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), and in which researchers from the international scientific project Global Tree Assessment (GTA) have also participated . The work is the result of five years of research and constitutes one of the first assessments of the world’s threatened trees.
Main threats
Of the 60,000 species examined, 30% (17,500 species) are currently in danger of extinction. The main threat to trees is habitat loss from agriculture and grazing, followed by overexploitation by logging. The report indicates that, in fact, 1 in 3 trees currently cut down for wood are in danger of extinction.
In addition, climate change is an emerging threat to trees around the world. As temperature and climate change, many trees are at risk of losing areas with suitable habitat for their survival. Nobody is saved: the problem affects both temperate and tropical species, although the trees of the cloud forests of Central America are in greater danger.
At least 180 species of trees are directly threatened by rising sea levels and severe weather events. This threat is most serious for island species, including Caribbean magnolias. The increased incidence of fires poses a significant threat to trees in Madagascar, and has also been identified as a risk to American oak and Nothofagus tree species in Australia and South America. Globally, the shift from land use to agriculture coupled with rising global temperatures exacerbates the fire risk for many tree species.
There is hope
Despite the bad news, the report’s authors believe that increased conservation efforts led by the botanist community around the world is cause for hope for the future. One of the most effective ways to prevent extinction and restore endangered species is to identify trees at risk to ensure their protection.
The report reveals that at least 64% of all tree species can be found in at least one protected area, and around 30% can be found in botanical gardens, seed banks or other ex situ collections, but more are needed. more forceful actions.
The report recommends five key lines to protect and recover threatened species:
- Expand the coverage of protected areas for threatened tree species that are currently not well represented in those areas
- Ensure that all globally threatened tree species, wherever possible, are conserved in botanical garden collections and seed banks.
- Increase the availability of government and corporate funds for threatened tree species.
- Expand tree planting plans and ensure selective planting of native and threatened species.
- Increase global collaboration to address tree extinction, participating in international efforts such as the Global Conservation Consortia.
Why do you have to conserve trees?
The report reveals that 1 in 5 tree species are used directly by humans, as food, fuel, wood, medicine, horticulture, etc. Despite all these uses, many trees face extinction as a result of overharvesting and mismanagement.
In addition, tree species are the backbone of the natural ecosystem and provide us with a multitude of ecosystem services. For example, they store 50% of the world’s terrestrial carbon and are a natural buffer against extreme weather such as hurricanes and tsunamis.
Many threatened tree species provide habitat and food for millions of other species of birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, insects, and microorganisms. The extinction of a single tree species could cause a domino effect, catalyzing the loss of many other species.
