Nearly a Third of the World’s Trees Are at Risk of Extinction

Between illegal logging, encroaching seas, and intense fires, trees have been having a rough go of it lately. A new report finds that for many species of trees, time may be running out.

Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) recently published a State of the World’s Trees Report, which was compiled with research from botanical gardens, forestry institutions, universities, and more than 500 experts who have helped with tree assessments. This work found that about 17,500 of the world’s 60,000 tree species – or 30% – are at risk of extinction. That includes more than 440 species with fewer than 50 trees left in the wild.

Paul Smith, Secretary General at BGCI, says, “This report is a wake up call to everyone around the world that trees need help. Every tree species matters — to the millions of other species that depend on trees, and to people all over the world.”

Primary threats include sea level rise, severe weather events, crop and animal agriculture, logging, urbanization, and fire.

Among the species most at risk are Magnolias, Camellias, ash trees, island trees, and timber trees like mahogany and rosewood. There are also specific areas with increased threats. On Borneo, for example, the expansion of palm oil plantations is putting the Dipterocarpaceae species further at risk, and it’s already one of the most threatened tree groups on the planet. The decline of this type of tree is impacting the future of certain animals, like the Bornean orangutan, which is critically endangered.

Deforestation is also threatening oaks and Nothofagus in Central and South America. Oaks are at risk in Asian countries like China and Vietnam, as well, while 16 species of oak are at risk in the United States. Logging, both legal and illegal, is leading to the decline of timber trees in Madagascar, Brazil, and the Caribbean. In Europe, 58% of native trees are at risk of extinction in the wild, as well.

There is hope moving forward, though.

Smith says, “Thanks to the information provided by the State of the World’s Tree Report we can pinpoint exactly which tree species need our help, so policymakers and conservation experts can deploy the resources and expertise needed to prevent future extinctions.”

Which conservation steps are needed? BGCI recommended five actions: extend protected area coverage for threatened species that are not generally found in protected areas, ensure that threatened tree species across the globe are conserved in botanical gardens and seed bank collections, increase public and private funding for conservation, expand tree planting programs that focus on threatened and native species, and increase global collaboration on the issue.

There are many parties ready to help tackle the problem.

Jon Paul Rodriguez, chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission, says, “Despite the worrying data, I look forward to future State of the World Trees reports, where I hope to learn of the increase in the number of known species and the decline in the proportion facing high extinction risk, due to the success of premeditated, coordinated global conservation action.”

With tree species diversity so key, and with trees vital for our survival, there is a lot of work to do. If you’d like to help, the report suggests finding a tree planting program to support, especially those focused on threatened and native species.