600 species of plants disappear, threatening human survival

BBC news agency on June 11 led a comprehensive new study by scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Stockholm University, saying that nearly 600 species of plants have disappeared from nature within the past 250 years.

Deforestation in Sumatra - (Photo: GETTY IMAGES).

This number is based on an actual extinction survey, not an estimate, and it is double that of extinction in birds, mammals and amphibians combined.

Some of the lost species include Chilean sandalwood, which has been mined for essential oils, a three-sized rod, although the life of this species takes place mostly in the underground and St Helena olive trees for pink flowers. .

However, there are also some extinct botanical species discovered, such as the Chilean crocus.

St Helena Olive tree species became extinct in 2003 - (Photo: REBECCA CAIRN WICKS).

"If most people could name some of the extinct mammal or bird species in recent centuries, it is very rare for anyone to name the plant species in the same state" , proceeding. Dr. Aelys Humphreys from Stockholm University said.

"This study is also the first to help us have an overview of which plants are extinct, where they disappeared and how quickly things happened , " she added.

All life on earth depends on plants. Extinct plants can entail extinction in other species such as insects - species that take plants as food and lay eggs.

" Plant extinction is bad news for all species," said Dr. Eimear Nic Lughadha - co-researcher and conservation scientist at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew worried.

"Millions of other species depend on plants for survival, including humans, so knowing what the world is losing and from where it will help us have the necessary preparation for these Other species, " she explained.

Researchers work on preservation of extinct plant samples - (Photo: RBG KEW).

Researchers are calling for a number of measures to prevent plant extinction:

• Take note of information about all plants in the world;
• Supporting herbs, preserving plant specimens for posterity;
• Support botanists;
• Teach children how to view and identify local plants .

Scientists say extinction in plants is happening at up to 500 times faster than forecast. Last May, a UN report estimated that one million species of animals and plants are threatened with extinction.