NCIE
NCIE
Scientists hosts nearly half of 9,000 tree species unknown to science
The most comprehensive survey of Earth’s tree life has just been published, showing that there are some 9,000 species that scientists still haven’t described.
Nearly half of these unknown trees are found in South America, which in turn accounts for 43% of the estimated 73,000 trees found on Earth, according to the study.
Almost 150 researchers from across the globe collaborated on the study, which increases the previous estimate for total tree species by 14%.
The study authors say the unidentified species are mostly rare and more vulnerable to the risk of extinction, hence there’s an urgent need to implement stricter protection and enforcement of environmental laws.
Earth's forests are concealing about 9,200 species of trees that scientists have not yet discovered, according to a new estimate.
More than 100 scientists from all over the world built the largest global forest database to date, and in a study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they made a science-backed guess at how many types of trees they haven't discovered yet.
Many of the roughly 9,200 tree species are probably unknown to science because they are very rare, with small numbers of trees growing in limited territories, according to the new study. That makes these mystery trees especially vulnerable to climate change.
