Context (DTE): The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) released its first Global Tree Assessment, updating the Red List of Threatened Species.
Key Findings:
- High Extinction Risk: 38%—or over 1 in 3—of the world’s tree species are threatened with extinction.
- Severity of Threat: The number of endangered tree species exceeds the combined total of all threatened birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.
- Primary Threats: Key factors include deforestation for urban expansion and agriculture, invasive species, pests and diseases, and climate change impacts like rising sea levels and increasingly severe storms.