IUCN Report Warns that More Than One in Three Species Face Extinction

The International Union for Conservation of Nature says tree species are at risk of extinction in 192 countries.

More than one in three species of trees are at risk of extinction worldwide, threatening life as we know it on Earth, according to a report published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

The report published on Tuesday has warned that over 16,000 tree species are at risk of extinction. More than 47,000 species were assessed for the IUCN study, out of an estimated 58,000 species thought to exist in the world.

According to the report, trees are felled for logging and to clear land for farming and human expansion. Climate change also poses an additional threat through worsening drought and wildfires.

Over 5,000 of the species on the IUCN Red List are used for construction timber, and more than 2,000 species for medicines, food, and fuels.

Species at risk include the horse chestnut and ginkgo, both used for medical applications, the big leaf mahogany used in furniture making, as well as several ashes, magnolia, and eucalyptus species, said Emily Beech, head of conservation prioritization at Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), which contributed to the tree assessment.

Moreover, according to the IUCN report, the number of trees at risk is “more than double the number of all threatened birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians combined”.

The report noted that while tree species are at risk of extinction in 192 countries, the highest proportion is found on islands due to rapid urban development expanding agriculture, and the introduction of invasive species, pests, and diseases from elsewhere.

The IUCN has called for forest protection and restoration through tree planting as well as the conservation of species dying out through seed banks and botanic garden collections. The report’s publication also coincides with the United Nations COP16 summit on biodiversity, which has begun in the Colombian city of Cali.