According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s 1st comprehensive Global Tree Assessment 38% of the world’s trees are threatened, i.e. over one in three tree species is at risk of extinction.
- The latest assessment revealed that at least 16,425 of the 47, 282 tree species assessed are at risk of extinction.
- Also, the number of threatened tree species is more than double compared to the number of all threatened birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians combined.
- The key findings of the assessment were announced at the 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) held from 21st October to 1st November, 2024 in Cali, Columbia.
Note: At present, IUCN Red List includes 1, 66,061 species, of which 46,337 are threatened with extinction.
About Global Tree Assessment:
i.This assessment presents the 1st global picture of the conservation status of trees, which will help to make better informed conservation decisions and take action to protect trees where it is urgently required.
ii.The assessment was jointly conducted by Kew, Surrey (the United Kingdom (UK))-based Botanic Gardens Conservation International and the IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group, working with fellow Red List Partners, NatureServe, Missouri Botanical Garden and Royal Botanic Gardens.
iii.The dataset in this assessment was generated with help of global network of over 100 institutional partners and over 1,000 scientific experts.
Key Findings:
i.As per the study, the highest proportion of threatened trees is found on islands as trees on islands are at particularly high risk due to deforestation for urban development and agriculture as well as invasive species, pests and diseases.
- The study found that in South America which is home to the greatest diversity of trees in the world, 3,356 out of 13,668 assessed species are at risk of extinction mainly due to deforestation for agriculture and livestock rearing.
ii.The report highlighted the impact of climate change, which exacerbates risks of extinction for tree species, particularly in tropical regions, due to rising sea levels and increasingly frequent severe storms.
iii.The global assessment has recommended certain conservation practices to prevent extinctions on islands and worldwide like: habitat protection and restoration, ex-situ conservation through seed banks and botanic garden collection.
iv.The Western European Hedgehog (scientific name: Erinaceus europaeus)has moved from Least Concern to Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Its assessment was done for the European Red List with the support of the European Commission.
- It has estimated the number of western European hedgehog species has decreased in over half of the native countries, including the United Kingdom (UK), Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, among others.
v.The study highlighted the conservation efforts undertaken by NGOs, countries, for instance some countries such as Ghana, Colombia, Chile and Kenya already have national strategies for the conservation of trees and others like Gabon have identified important areas of trees.
Points to Note:
i.On 28th October 2024, IUCN launched year long social media campaign to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the IUCN Red List, to raise awareness and funds to accelerate species assessments and reassessments.
ii.The campaign will conclude at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in October 2025.
About International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN):
Director-General (DG)- Dr. Grethel Aguilar
Headquarters- Gland, Switzerland
Established– 1948
