More than one in three tree species threatened with extinction

38 per cent of the world’s trees are at risk of extinction, shows the latest update of the official extinction red list by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The news was announced at the UN biodiversity summit in Cali, Colombia.

More than a thousand tree experts worldwide collaborated to examine the conservation status of trees. Of the 47,282 tree species assessed, at least 16,425 have been identified as threatened with extinction. Tree species are at risk of extinction in 192 countries around the world.

Trees on islands are especially vulnerable. There, the risk of deforestation for urban and agricultural development is highest. They also suffer from pests, diseases and invasive species. Climate change is increasingly threatening trees as well, especially in the tropics, through sea-level rise and stronger, more frequent storms. According to the IUCN, “addressing the threats that trees face, habitat protection and restoration, as well as ex situ conservation through seed banks and botanic garden collections are critical to prevent extinctions”.

“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,” said IUCN’s director general Grethel Aguilar. “Trees are fundamental to life on Earth through their role in carbon, water and nutrient cycles, soil formation and climate regulation,” clarified the organisation. “About 5,000 of the tree species on the IUCN Red List are used for timber in construction, and over 2,000 species for medicines, food and fuels respectively.”

The UN biodiversity summit in Cali, also called COP16, lasts until the end of this week. The summit did not have a good start. Many countries had not yet handed in their national action plan, despite having agreed to do so before the conference two years ago.

^{A Gingko biloba tree in Strasbourg, France. Several species of Gingko trees were included in an update of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species published on 28 October 2024 © BELGA PHOTO PATRICK HERTZOG / AFP}