A third (30%) of the world’s trees are at risk of extinction.

• Well-known trees such as magnolias and dipterocarps among most threatened, with oaks, maple (Acer) and ebonies also at risk.
• Agriculture, logging, and livestock farming are the top threats but climate change and extreme weather are emerging dangers.
• Islands including St Helena (69% of trees threatened), Madagascar (59%) and Mauritius (57%) have highest proportion of threatened trees.
• Report offers five recommendations to bring species back from the brink and provides hope for future if conservation efforts continue.

(London, UK) — Today, Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) has published a landmark State of the World’s Trees report. The report, compiling work led by the Global Tree Assessment (GTA), is the culmination of five years of research to identify major gaps in tree conservation efforts. It is one of the first assessments of the world’s threatened trees. 

Examining the globe’s 60,000 tree species, it reveals that 30% (17,500) of tree species are currently at risk of extinction. That means there are twice the number of threatened tree species globally than threatened mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles combined.  

Over 440 tree species are right on the brink of extinction, the report reveals, meaning they have fewer than 50 individuals remaining in the wild. These species are found all over the world, from the Mulanje cedar in Malawi, with only a few remaining individuals on Mulanje Mountain, to the Menai whitebeam found only in North Wales, which has only 30 trees remaining.

The report finds hope for the future, however, as conservation efforts led by the botanical community worldwide are growing. Identifying which trees are at risk and ensuring these are protected is the most effective way to prevent extinction and restore endangered species. The report reveals that at least 64% of all tree species can be found in at least one protected area, and about 30% can be found in botanic gardens, seed banks, or other ex situ collections, but further action is needed.

The State of the World’s Trees report brings together research from over 60 institutional partners, including botanic gardens, forestry institutions and universities worldwide, as well as more than 500 experts who have contributed to tree assessments in the last five years.

Cause of extinction – climate change is a growing threat

The report from BGCI provides one of the most comprehensive analyses of the uses and threats facing different tree species. It reveals that 1 in 5 tree species are directly used by humans, for food, fuel, timber, medicines, horticulture, and more. Despite the value of trees, many face extinction as a result of over-exploitation and mismanagement. 

The greatest threats facing trees include habitat loss from agriculture and grazing, followed by over-exploitation from logging and harvesting. The report finds that 1 in 3 trees currently harvested for timber are threatened with extinction.

Climate change and extreme weather are emerging threats to tree species globally. As the temperature and weather of the world changes, many trees risk losing areas of suitable habitat. This affects species in both temperate and tropical habitats, with Cloud Forest tree species of Central America being at particular risk. 

At least 180 tree species are directly threatened by sea level rise and severe weather events. This threat is most severe to island species, including magnolias in the Caribbean. An increased occurrence of fire is a major threat to trees in Madagascar, and has also been identified as a risk to US species of oak and Nothofagus trees in Australia and South America. Globally, land use change to agriculture alongside increasing global temperatures compounds the risk of fire to many tree species.

Ranking	Type of threat	Percentage tree species impacted by threat
1	Agriculture (trees cleared for crop production)	29%
2	Logging for timber	27%
3	Livestock farming (trees cleared for farming/grazing)	14%
4	Urbanisation (cleared for residential and commercial development)	13%
5	Fire	13%

Countries where action is needed most

The State of the World’s Trees report provides an in-depth analysis of which countries require further action to protect threatened trees.

In Europe, 58% of native European trees are threatened with extinction in the wild. Whitebeams and Rowan (Sorbus genus) are the most threatened species of trees in Europe. Brazil, which has some of the most biodiverse forests in the world, has the highest number of tree species (8,847) and also the most threatened tree species (1,788). 

However, the report finds that it is island tree species that are more proportionally at risk. This is particularly concerning, because many islands have species of trees that can be found nowhere else.

Top six biodiverse (tree species rich) countries in the world
Country	Number of native tree species	Number of threatened tree species	Percentage of threatened tree species	Examples of threatened trees or tree groups
Brazil	8847	1788	20%	Big Leaf Mahogany, rosewood, Eugenia
Colombia	5868	834	14%	Magnolia, Cedrela spp.
Indonesia	5716	1306	23%	Dipterocarps, cinnamon, agarwood, ramin
Malaysia	5422	1295	24%	Dipterocarps, cinnamon, ramin,Quercus (oaks) spp.
Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of	4812	614	13%	Ilex (hollies) spp.
China	4608	890	19%	Magnolia, camellia, maples

Examples of species impacted by threats and human activities

For the first time, the report identifies which threats are having the greatest impact on specific tree species. The main threat to tree species across the world is deforestation for agriculture. 

• On Borneo, the expansion of palm oil plantations is a major threat to the Dipterocarpaceae species, one of the most threatened tree groups of trees on the planet. These large tropical trees make up the majority of the lowland habitat on the island, and their decline has led to species such as the Bornean orangutan to become Critically Endangered.

• Species of oaks and Nothofagus are also at risk from habitat loss as a result of deforestation, particularly in Central (Mexico) and South America (Chile and Argentina), respectively. The countries with the highest number of threatened oak species are Mexico (32 species), China (36), Vietnam (20), and the United States (16).

Logging, and illegal logging in particular, is contributing to the considerable decline of valuable timber trees.  

• In Madagascar, timber extraction of ebony and rosewood species is causing widespread habitat loss across the island. The same can be said of mahogany trees and rosewoods across the Caribbean and in Brazil.

Other major threatened groups of trees include the well known Magnolia and Camellia species, currently under threat from unsustainable plant collection from the wild for commercial use, while pests and diseases are causing severe decline to ash populations in the UK and North America.

Why tree conservation matters

Tree species are the backbone of the natural ecosystem. They store 50% of the world’s terrestrial carbon and provide a buffer from extreme weather, such hurricanes and tsunamis.

Many threatened tree species provide the habitat and food for millions of other species of birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, insects and microorganisms. The extinction of a single tree species could cause a domino effect, catalysing the loss of many other species.

Despite this, it has often been animals that have received most attention as requiring urgent protection. With a third of tree species on the verge of extinction, the State of the World’s Trees Report hopes to raise awareness of the trees that are equally at risk and require action to prevent extinction. 

A roadmap for the future – hope for trees remains

Despite nearly a third of tree species threatened with extinction, the report indicates hope for the future if conservation efforts continue and further action is taken. With the publication of the State of World’s Trees Report, BGCI hopes to catalyse action among policymakers and conservation experts across the world.

To aid that, BGCI are today launching a new GlobalTree Portal, an online database tracking conservation efforts for trees at a species, country, and global level. 

Both the report and portal show for the first time which trees need the most protection, where action is needed most urgently, and most importantly, where the gaps in conservation effort are, so that resources and expertise can be deployed most effectively. Used together, the report and portal provide the tools and information for countries, policymakers, and experts to bring species back from the brink.

In the report, BGCI recommend five key actions for policymakers and experts in order to protect and bring back threatened species:

• Extend protected area coverage for threatened tree species that are currently not-well represented in protected areas
• Ensure that all globally threatened tree species, where possible, are conserved in botanic garden and seed bank collections 
• Increase availability of Government and corporate funding for threatened tree species
• Expand tree planting schemes, and ensure the targeted planting of threatened and native species
• Increase global collaboration to tackle tree extinction, by participating in international efforts such as the Global Conservation Consortia

This method of conservation has a track record of successfully bringing back tree populations from the brink. Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) and the Global Trees Campaign has helped to recover over 400 threatened tree species over the past 15 years. 

How organisations and individuals can help

Individuals and organisations can support diverse tree planting programmes, which support the planting of native and threatened tree species. Examples of tree species that urgently need assistance can be found on BGCI’s Tree Conservation Fund website– a platform that enables conservation practitioners to highlight the plight of their local tree species, and seek support for their conservation.

 

Quotes

Paul Smith, Secretary General, BGCI: “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. For the first time, 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.” 

Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary, United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity: “Trees are fundamental to all life on Earth: they are often keystone species that shelter and nourish treasure troves of biodiversity. If we are going to achieve an ambitious transformation of our relationship with biodiversity — one that sees us living in harmony with nature by 2050 — we need to put tree species conservation at the heart of work in ecological restoration.”

Sara Oldfield, Co-chair, Global Tree Specialist Group: “Trees are vital for our future and for a healthy world we need tree species diversity. Each tree species has a unique ecological role to play. With 30 percent of the world’s tree species threatened with extinction we need to urgently scale up conservation action.” 

Jon Paul Rodriguez, Chair, IUCN Species Survival Commission “For the first time, The State of the World’s Trees provides a comprehensive breakdown of our world’s trees. Of the 58,497 known species, 30% are threatened and 142 have gone extinct. Knowing where they are and why they are threatened is the first step towards acting for their conservation. 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.”

Malin Rivers, Lead Author and Head of Conservation Prioritisation, cBGCI: “The ultimate goal of this report and the work of the Global Tree Assessment is to inspire, catalyse and enable conservation action to ensure that no tree species becomes extinct.” 

Gerard T. Donnelly, PhD, President and CEO, The Morton Arboretum: “This report makes clear that the world’s trees are in danger. It was developed through years of vigorous research and collaboration among the world’s leading tree conservation organizations and will guide further scientifically-informed action to prevent tree extinctions.” 

Jean-Christophe Vie, Director General, Fondation Franklinia: “Trees are one of the most familiar forms of life for all humans. There is a great focus on trees, largely because of their ability to store carbon. It is therefore very surprising to learn that so little was known about their conservation status and shocking to know that deforestation rates remain so high, with many trees on the brink of extinction. Through reforestation efforts there is a huge opportunity to change this dire picture, but tree planting practices need to change to tackle threatened species specifically.” 

Notes to Editors

The results in the State of the World’s Trees report are based on information from conservation assessments for trees from different sources, including the global IUCN Red List assessment, national and regional level conservation assessments, flora accounts and scientific research papers. These can be accessed via the ThreatSearchdatabase.

The State of the World’s Trees report has been made possible through international collaboration and partnership. The research for this report was led by BGCI and the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) Global Tree Specialist Group (GTSG), with partners at Fauna & Flora International (FFI), Fondation Franklinia, Centro Nacional de Conservação da Flora in Brazil, Forest Research Institute of Malaysia, Missouri Botanical Garden, The Morton Arboretum, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and many others.

The report is the culmination of years of collaboration and knowledge sharing in the botanical community, including training workshops across all continents except Antarctica. The full list of organisations and partners responsible for this report and work can be found in the report.

All BGCI’s databases (e.g. ThreatSearch, GlobalTree portal) can be contributed to and are updated regularly. We encourage people working in plant conservation and in botanical institutes to submit their data to our databases to help better monitor plant conservation efforts at a global level. 

About BGCI

Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) is the world’s largest plant conservation network, comprising more than 650 botanical institutions in over 100 countries. Established in 1987, BGCI is a registered charity with offices in the UK, US, Singapore, China and Kenya. BGCI leverages the expertise at botanic gardens worldwide for tree conservation with the Global Tree Assessment, BGCI’s Tree Conservation Fund and the Global Trees Campaign.

Press Contact

Luke Walpole

luke.walpole@plmr.co.uk 

+44 (0) 7719028313

 

Lynsey Grosfield

Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI)

lynsey.grosfield@bgci.org

Interview Opportunities

• Paul Smith – Secretary General at Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI)
• Dr Malin Rivers – Head of Conservation Prioritisation at Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI)
• Emily Beech – Tree Red List Manager at Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI)
• Megan Barstow – Red List Conservation Assistant at Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI)