Climate Change Threatens Tens of Thousands of Plant Species with Extinction
New scientific studies published in the journal Science highlight the severe impact of climate change on global plant biodiversity, a crisis often overshadowed by attention on animal extinctions. Research led by ecologist Xiaoli Dong from the University of California Davis predicts that between 35,000 and 50,000 plant species could face effective extinction by the end of the century due to habitat loss driven by rising temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns. Computer simulations indicate that even if plants migrate to cooler climates, their specific habitat requirements will vanish, particularly in the Arctic, Mediterranean, and Australia. Concurrently, a separate study by scientists at Kew Gardens in the UK identifies nearly 10,000 flowering plant species currently at risk. These include evolutionarily distinct species like the Ginkgo biloba and vanilla orchid. The loss of these plants would erase 21% of Earth's evolutionary history for flowering plants. Experts urge a rebalancing of conservation efforts to prioritize flora, noting that public and institutional focus remains disproportionately fixed on vertebrates despite the critical ecological role of plants.
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Climate Change Threatens Tens of Thousands of Plant Species with Extinction
New scientific studies published in the journal Science highlight the severe impact of climate change on global plant biodiversity, a crisis often overshadowed by attention on animal extinctions. Research led by ecologist Xiaoli Dong from the University of California Davis predicts that between 35,000 and 50,000 plant species could face effective extinction by the end of the century due to habitat loss driven by rising temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns. Computer simulations indicate that even if plants migrate to cooler climates, their specific habitat requirements will vanish, particularly in the Arctic, Mediterranean, and Australia. Concurrently, a separate study by scientists at Kew Gardens in the UK identifies nearly 10,000 flowering plant species currently at risk. These include evolutionarily distinct species like the Ginkgo biloba and vanilla orchid. The loss of these plants would erase 21% of Earth's evolutionary history for flowering plants. Experts urge a rebalancing of conservation efforts to prioritize flora, noting that public and institutional focus remains disproportionately fixed on vertebrates despite the critical ecological role of plants.
The Mainichi