One-fifth of the world's plants is at risk of extinction

Lisbon - One-fifth of the world's plants is at risk of extinction, a study released on Wednesday.
The study, which was conducted by the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Natural History Museum and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), reveals that one in five plants species is under threat. Plants, like animals, are threatened with extinction and the major cause is “the loss of habitat by human hands", Stephen Hopper, director of the Royal Botanic Gardens.
The group that is the most endangered is of Gymnosperms, which include pine trees, and habitat that most worries the scientists is the rainforest, because is in the tropics that focuses the most endangered species.
The research team studied a sample of 7000 species of major groups of plants representing the 380 000 currently known, and concluded that "at a time increases the loss of biodiversity, it is entirely appropriate to intensify our efforts" to preserving . The project will be reviewed periodically, to "monitor the fate of plants."
The report will be discussed during the UN Summit devoted to biodiversity, in mid-October in Nagoya, Japan "The goal for biodiversity in 2020 which will be discussed in Nagoya is ambitious," said Hopper.

* http://www.jornaldigital.com/noticias.php?noticia=23605 *