“Warning to humanity”: A third of tree species are threatened

"Warning to humanity": A third of tree species are threatened

Un One-third of tree species, i.e. 17,500 species, are threatened with extinction. And “if we don’t act now, it will impact humanity, our economy. Ecologically, this can have a devastating impact on the planet. This warning cry comes from scientists at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and it was discovered Guardian.

“Last year we published the State of the World’s Trees report, which showed that at least 17,500 tree species, or a third of the world’s 60,000 tree species, are at risk of extinction. Now we want to highlight why there is concern that so many tree species are endangered,” said Malin Rivers. Main author of scientific article. Apart from the economic aspect of this disappearance, the article reminds us that woodworking in some countries provides up to 25% of the income of some families, with cultural and spiritual dimensions such as the baobabs in Madagascar. The destruction of many trees is a disaster for the earth. Half of the plant and animal species can follow, trees are their natural habitat.

An ally against global warming

Not to mention that wood is a formidable ally Fight against global warming. In addition to providing welcome shade areas, forests are important carbon stores. However, there is one innovation in this paper: “We show that diverse forests store more carbon than monocultures. This applies not only to carbon sequestration, but also to many other ecological functions such as providing habitat for animals, stabilizing soil, resisting pests and diseases, and resisting storms and weather. By losing the diversity of trees, we will lose the diversity of all living things: birds, animals, fungi, microbes, insects. »

Read moreWhy should we also listen to bad words?

And who says threatened tree, says threatened fauna. Yes, a large amount of plants and animals depend on forests. “When we look at extinction risk for mammals or birds, it’s driven by habitat loss, and habitat loss is often tree loss,” he said. “If we don’t take care of the trees, there’s no way to take care of all the other living things. »

Rather than sounding the alarm, these scientists are calling for action now. Governments take responsibility There is general reflection on biodiversity and climate change.


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