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The state of the world’s plants and fungi is acute. According to a new research report, almost half of all known flowering plants are threatened with extinction.
Behind the report, which is being published for the fifth time, is the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew in London. The University of Gothenburg has also contributed.
“At a time when plants and fungi are increasingly threatened, we must act quickly to fill knowledge gaps and prioritize wisely for their conservation,” says Alexandre Antonelli, head of research at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew in London and professor of systematics and biodiversity at GU, in a press release .
The report authors write, among other things, that “the natural world is out of balance” as a result of the climate crisis and the loss of biodiversity.
There are about 350,000 species of vascular plants – shrubs, trees and herbs – known to science. Meanwhile, 100,000 species are still believed to be undiscovered. Of the undiscovered, researchers estimate that three out of four are already threatened with extinction. In addition, 45 percent of all flowering plant species may be threatened.
Among the most vulnerable are the orchid and piperaceae plant families, which include black pepper.
“Therefore, we propose that all newly described species be formally considered endangered unless proven otherwise, as a red listing may be a prerequisite for being able to preserve them,” says computational biologist Daniele Silvestro at the University of Gothenburg in the press release.