A third of the tropical African flora is potentially threatened with extinction.
Sci Adv
; 5(11): eaax9444, 2019 11.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31799397
ABSTRACT
Preserving tropical biodiversity is an urgent challenge when faced with the growing needs of countries. Despite their crucial importance for terrestrial ecosystems, most tropical plant species lack extinction risk assessments, limiting our ability to identify conservation priorities. Using a novel approach aligned with IUCN Red List criteria, we conducted a continental-scale preliminary conservation assessment of 22,036 vascular plant species in tropical Africa. Our results underline the high level of extinction risk of the tropical African flora. Thirty-three percent of the species are potentially threatened with extinction, and another third of species are likely rare, potentially becoming threatened in the near future. Four regions are highlighted with a high proportion (>40%) of potentially threatened species Ethiopia, West Africa, central Tanzania, and southern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Our approach represents a first step toward data-driven conservation assessments applicable at continental scales providing crucial information for sustainable economic development prioritization.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Espécies em Perigo de Extinção
/
Extinção Biológica
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2019
Tipo de documento:
Article