Scientists Issue “Warning to Humanity” that Tree Species Extinction Could Bring Economic as well as Ecosystem Crisis

Scientists Issue “Warning to Humanity” that Tree Species Extinction Could Bring Economic as well as Ecosystem Crisis - Botanic Gardens Conservation International

tree growing on edge of a ridge, large surface roots are tangled, branches extend upwards into a sparce canopy overhead — Veteran Tree (© Felix Mittermeier)

Scientists who revealed ⅓ of tree species are facing extinction call on leaders to do more to protect threatened species, as new research reveals the impact of extinction on humanity and planet

New paper warns that billions of people could lose their income, jobs, and livelihoods, if more is not done to prevent tree species extinction.
Report puts forward seven urgent actions to avert an ecological, cultural and socio-economic catastrophe ahead of Cop15.
The call to action has been signed by more than 30 organisations worldwide and reveals the threats species face in regions around the world, including North America and Europe.

Today (1/9) a new paper by leading scientists and the Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) reveals the severe impact that tree species extinction will have on other species, ecosystems and livelihoods. This comes exactly one year on from the landmark State of the World’s Trees report, which examined global tree species and found that a third of the world’s tree species (17,510) are currently at risk of extinction.

A year on from the findings, scientists from IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group and BGCI have today issued a “warning to humanity” to raise awareness of the tree species extinction crisis, which is a major environmental issue. The call to action, which comes months ahead of the Kunming Biodiversity Conference 2022 where leaders will meet to discuss biodiversity decline, highlights the urgent need for tree species conservation and identifies key priority actions for Governments.

This new scientists’ warning to humanity from BGCI and IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group aims to raise awareness of the tree extinction crisis and to provide a catalyst for policymakers and conservation experts to take action.

The paper puts forward seven urgent actions for policymakers and experts to avert the ecological, cultural and socio-economic catastrophe caused by widespread extinction of tree species

Read the paper: Rivers, M., Newton, A. C., Oldfield, S., & (2022). Scientists' warning to humanity on tree extinctions. Plants, People, Planet, 1– 17. doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10314