Scientists are sounding the alarm about the planet's flowering plants, warning that we are on the brink of losing a significant portion of their evolutionary history. This dire prediction comes from a recent study published in Science, which used a novel approach called EDGE scores to assess the extinction stakes for angiosperms, or flowering plants. These scores, developed by the Zoological Society in London, combine a species' evolutionary distinctiveness with its risk of extinction, creating a prioritized list of species for conservation efforts.
The study found that 21.2 percent of angiosperm evolutionary history is at risk of extinction, with 9,945 species qualifying as EDGE species. These species are both evolutionarily unique and globally endangered, representing about 3 percent of all known plant species. The list includes familiar names like the vanilla orchid and the stinky corpse flower, but also many lesser-known plants, such as the jellyfish tree and the Hondurodendron urceolatum, a tree that is the only living member of its genus.
The implications of this loss are profound, as these plants provide essential services to life on Earth, including air and food. As Kew botanist Matilda Brown explains, losing a deep branch of the tree of life means the potential loss of the next breakthrough cancer drug or antibiotic, with no second chance. The study's lead author, Félix Forest, emphasizes the importance of conserving these species, stating that they provide vital information required to highlight the irreplaceable and threatened species that are often overlooked.
The authors of the study call for urgent action to catalyze a new generation of conservation monitoring and action for the many distinct, overlooked, and threatened plant species on Earth. With more than two in five plants estimated to be at risk of extinction, and 75 percent of those that remain to be discovered predicted to be threatened, the need for conservation efforts has never been more pressing. This research serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of our planet's biodiversity and the importance of taking action to protect it.
