News Published: 28 October 2024

Cali, Colombia, 28 October 2024 (IUCN) – 38% of the world’s trees are at risk of extinction according to the first Global Tree Assessment, published in today’s update the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Also in today’s update, the conservation status of the Western European hedgehog has deteriorated and is now listed as Near Threatened.

The IUCN Red List now includes 166,061 species, of which 46,337 are threatened with extinction.

“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. As the IUCN Red List celebrates 60 years of impact, this assessment highlights its importance as a barometer of life, but also, crucially, as a unique tool guiding action to reverse the decline of nature.” – Dr Grethel Aguilar, IUCN Director General. 

For the first time, the majority of the world’s trees have been listed on the IUCN Red List, revealing that at least 16,425 of the 47,282 species assessed are at risk of extinction. Trees now account for over one quarter of species on the IUCN Red List, and the number of threatened trees is more than double the number of all threatened birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians combined. Tree species are at risk of extinction in 192 countries around the world.

“This comprehensive assessment presents the first global picture of the conservation status of trees, which enables us to make better informed conservation decisions and take action to protect trees where it is urgently needed. The work is a global effort, with over 1,000 tree experts involved. We need to continue to work together to scale up local, national, and international tree conservation action to support people and the planet.” – Malin Rivers, Global Tree Assessment Lead at BGCI.

The highest proportion of threatened trees is found on islands. Island trees are at particularly high risk due to deforestation for urban development and agriculture at all scales, as well as invasive species, pests, and diseases. Climate change is increasingly threatening trees, especially in the tropics, through sea-level rise and stronger, more frequent storms. 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 on islands and worldwide. Community action has already led to positive outcomes from the Juan Fernandez islands to Cuba, from Madagascar to Fiji.

In South America – home to the greatest diversity of trees in the world – 3,356 out of 13,668 assessed species are at risk of extinction. Innovative approaches are needed to protect the high number of tree species in the region, where forest clearance for crop farming and livestock ranching are the largest threats. In Colombia, Red List assessments have informed national conservation action planning. Seven species of Endangered and Critically Endangered Magnolia have been used for the designation of five new Key Biodiversity Areas, which will be used by local and national government to inform spatial planning.

The IUCN Red List also shows that the loss of trees is a major threat to the world’s other plants, fungi, and animals. As a defining component of many ecosystems, trees are fundamental to life on Earth through their role in carbon, water, and nutrient cycles, soil formation, and climate regulation. People also depend on trees, with over 5,000 of the tree species on the IUCN Red List used for timber in construction, and over 2,000 species for medicines, food, and fuels respectively.

“Coordinated by Botanic Gardens Conservation International and the IUCN Species Survival Commission Global Tree Specialist Group, the Global Tree Assessment relied on a global network of over 100 institutional partners and more than 1,000 experts to generate this transformative dataset. In the 60th anniversary year of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and responding to expectations set in the Biodiversity Plan for Life on Earth, such partnerships that build on and strengthen national technical capacity are the best way to move forward in the assessment of other globally disturbed megadiverse groups of animals, fungi, and plants.” – Dr Jon Paul Rodriquez, Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission.

The Western European Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) has moved from Least Concern to Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. The species’ numbers are thought to have shrunk in more than half the countries where it lives, including the UK, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and Austria. Nationally, numbers have reduced by an estimated 16-33% over the past 10 years, with local studies also reporting declines of up to 50% in Bavaria, Germany, and Flanders, Belgium. Increasing human pressures, particularly the degradation of rural habitats by agricultural intensification, roads and urban development, are driving declines of the Western European Hedgehog.

“Regional and national action is essential to support hedgehog populations, through initiatives such as ‘Hedgehog Street’ in the UK and ‘Danmarks Pindsvin’ in Denmark. The Red List assessment also reveals where there are knowledge gaps, for example, regarding the limits of the species’ distribution. Increased monitoring throughout Europe is essential to learn more about lesser-studied populations.” – Dr Abi Gazzard, Programme Officer of the IUCN SSC Small Mammal Specialist Group. 

For more information or interviews, please contact:

• Harriet Brooker – IUCN Media Relations, +44 7960241862, press@iucn.org
• Amy Coles – IUCN Media Relations, +41 794157857, press@iucn.org