Scientists Studying Earth's Flowering Plants Issue a Stark Warning to Humanity
Biologists warn that over 20% of flowering plant species are at risk of extinction due to human activity. Using 'EDGE' scores, researchers are identifying unique evolutionary lineages that require urgent conservation efforts.
Why it matters
The loss of diverse plant species threatens global biodiversity and the essential ecosystem services that support human life.
Add ScienceAlert on Google Corpse flowers are part of a hidden crisis. (Afriandi/Moment/Getty Images) From the beloved vanilla orchid , whose pods flavor many of our favorite desserts, to the nose-twisting corpse flower , whose gigantic flower draws crowds with every fetid bloom, even the world's most treasured flowering plants are in grave danger.
And scientists are only just coming to terms with just how much we stand to lose.
In a recent paper published in Science , an international team of biologists warns that we risk losing more than a fifth of the evolutionary history of flowering plants, as a result of ever-increasing human pressures .
Assessing species loss in terms of their evolutionary history and level of endangerment is a relatively new approach in conservation science.
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