By Aram MbenguePosted on 21-11-2019Modified on 21-11-2019 at 18:05
A third of African tropical plants are potentially at risk of extinction, according to a study published in the journal Science Advances.
Nearly 7,000 plant species are classified by researchers as potentially endangered. It is a third of the African tropical flora that may disappear in the near future if protective measures are not taken. This is precisely what the results of this study, jointly conducted by European and African scientists, could serve.
More than 20 000 plants studied
The study covered 22,000 plants listed in the database maintained by the Foundation for Research on Biodiversity, a French institution. Among the causes of the threat of extinction of certain species, there is the direct action of the man: the deforestation, the agropastoral activities, but also the climate change.
[To read] "Almost a third of Africa's tropical flora threatened with extinction"
Discover the results of the #Rainbio project carried by @tlpcouvreur @ird_fr at @FRBiodiv #Cesab, published yesterday in @ScienceAdvances.
➡ https://t.co/gJMR1dEYEx
➡ https://t.co/P700qgliMH
This tedious survey, considering the number of species studied, also made it possible to determine the zones most concerned by this threat. These include tropical rainforests, particularly in West Africa where deforestation has been very important in recent decades.
After identifying the most endangered species, scientists identified four particularly vulnerable regions in Africa: Ethiopia, central Tanzania, southern Democratic Republic of Congo and tropical forests in West Africa, particularly those of Senegal, Gambia and Sierra Leone.
Red list of threatened species
For the first time, scientists have managed to assess the degree of conservation of flora on a continental scale. They were able to draw up a red list, maintained by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. It can be consulted upstream of development work in a given area or region. In concrete terms, the study could be used by companies, logging companies or governments to start work on an area.
According to Thomas Couvreur, a botanist at IRD and coordinator of this study, assessments of the conservation status of African tropical flora could provide crucial information for improving biodiversity management and promoting sustainable economic development in Africa. However, the scientist recalls that a major international effort remains to be made to evaluate all plant species in Africa.
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