Amazon forest tree species face extinction

According to the research published in journal, Science Advances, compared data from almost 15000 forest plots wit maps of current and predicted forest loss to estimate how many tree species have been lost like the Brazilian nut tree, food crops such as cacao, the source of chocolate, and other rare trees and how many are likely to disappear by the middle of the century. Amazon the world’s most diverse forest- could be home to more than 15,000 tree species could have up to 57 per cent of all Amazonian trees are globally threatened to extinction.

Prof Carlos Peres from the University of East Anglia’s School of Environmental sciences in Norwich is on the 158 researchers form 21 countries who worked on the study.

He said: Parks and reserves which face “a barrage threats – from dam construction and mining to wildfires and droughts” – will prevent extinction of threatened species only if they are properly managed.

According to William Laurence from James Cook University in Australia, who also contributed to the study said ”Either we stand up protect these critical parks and indigenous reserves, or deforestation will erode them until we see large-scale extinctions.”