A report out today says that 45% of flowering plant species are estimated to be at risk of extinction.
Scientists who have produced Kew’s State of the World’s Plants and Fungi 2023 say it’s believed that three out of every four unknown plant species are predicted to be under threat, based on a model that used data for plants with known conservation status to predict extinction risk for unassessed species.
The findings indicated that epiphytes – plants that grow on other plants, like bromeliads and orchids – were the most threatened plant life forms.
Kew’s fifth State of the World’s report draws on the expertise of 200 scientists in over 100 institutions from 30 different countries to gain a global understanding of biodiversity and tackle the nature emergency we find ourselves in.
The report also found that plants only found in one country and nowhere else in the world, known as country endemics, are more likely to be at risk of extinction.
In light of this knowledge, scientists at Kew are calling for all newly described plant species to be presumed threatened with extinction until proven otherwise.
“Plant and fungal species that scientists don’t even know exist are at risk of disappearing.” says the report adding that
“There are regions of our planet that are complete botanical mysteries. And the rate at which we are uncovering these mysteries is perhaps too slow to make a difference.
“But it’s also a message of hope. By highlighting what we don’t know, it gives us better targets to work towards. By collaborating more effectively with scientists across the globe, we can aim for shared targets, and learn what, where and how we need to take action to protect our planet’s fragile biodiversity.”
