Tree Species in Danger: A Global Crisis

Did you know that over a third of all tree species might disappear forever? That's what a new study found. Scientists spent a decade looking at nearly 48, 000 tree types from all around the world. The results? More than 16, 000 of these trees are in trouble. That's more than twice the number of all other animals and reptiles that are threatened with extinction combined. Why should we care? Trees clean the air by absorbing carbon pollution. They also provide homes for many animals and give us food and medicine. When trees vanish, it hurts the entire planet. So, what's causing this problem? Many things, but some of the big ones are cutting down trees for cities and farms, invasive pests and diseases, and even rising seas and stronger storms due to climate change. Some places are worse off than others. For example, islands like Fiji and Cuba, and also South America, are losing trees fast because of farming and livestock. The good news is that we can do something about this. Scientists are sounding the alarm, hoping that governments and groups will step up to protect these trees. “Imagine a world without trees, ” said Grethel Aguilar, the head of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. “We can stop this and save these trees we depend on. It's a big task, but we can do it. ”