Assessment: Almost 40 Percent of World's Trees Face Extinction

At least 40% of tree species on earth are at risk of extinction, according to a release from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), according to a report in The Hill.

At least 16,425 of the 47,282 species are at risk of extinction, according to the assessment.

"Today, we are releasing the global assessment of the world's trees on the IUCN Red List, which shows that more than one in three tree species are threatened with extinction. Trees are essential to support life on Earth through their vital role in ecosystems, and millions of people depend upon them for their lives and livelihoods," Dr. Grethel Aguilar, director general of the IUCN, said in a statement.

The IUCN found that tree species are at risk of extinction in 192 countries, with those facing the biggest threat being islands.

"Some countries such as Ghana, Colombia, Chile and Kenya already have national strategies in place. Others like Gabon have identified important areas for trees. Trees are seen as an easy fix to climate change and trees are planted everywhere; but the way reforestation is done needs to be greatly improved, diversifying species and including threatened ones in tree-planting schemes. Governments and their forestry departments, companies and all those planting trees could easily do this and get positive impact quickly, tackling both the climate change and biodiversity crises," stated Jean-Christophe Vié, director general of the Franklinia Foundation, which funded most of the global assessment.

"This important analysis of threatened tree species highlights just how critical it is to protect and restore diverse, healthy forest ecosystems. Over two-thirds of globally threatened bird species are dependent on forests. This report must be taken seriously; for the local communities and Indigenous peoples that rely on forests, for the wildlife that depends on trees and for enhancing forest resilience to climate change," Cleo Cunningham, head of climate and forests at BirdLife International, stated.

• The Hill: N.C. Still Devastated
• Florida Woos Tourism After Hurricanes