Worldwide Assessment Shows Many Plants in Risk of Extinction

Newsbriefs

Plants are in trouble. The first-ever worldwide assessment of the status of vascular plants (these are the dominant land plants) does not look good. “The IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants,” published by IUCN – The World Conservation Union, shows that

one in eight

plant species is at risk of extinction. In the U.S., 4,669 vascular plant species, or 29% of the total, are threatened, while on some island nations the percentages are far higher: 41% on St. Helens and 39% on Mauritius. This report is the result of a 20-year effort, led in the United States by The Nature Conservancy, the National Museum of Natural History, and the New York Botanical Garden. For information or to purchase the report ($52.65), contact the New York Botanical Garden at 718/817-8721.