China News Service, September 30. According to a report by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on the 30th, scientists have warned that two-fifths of the world's plants are in danger of extinction.

Researchers say they are racing against time, naming and providing descriptions for new species before they disappear.

Data map: On April 16, local time, rape blossoms in Cologne, Germany, yellow flower fields alternate with emerald green plants.

Image source: Visual China

  A report from Kew Gardens at the Royal Botanic Garden in the United Kingdom stated that plants can be used as medicine, fuel and food.

However, the opportunity to use plants to solve global problems such as food security and climate change is being lost.

  Professor Alexander Antonelli, scientific director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, said: "In a race against time, we may fail. Because species disappear faster than we can discover and name them."

  The report shows that only a small part of the existing plant species is used as food and biofuel.

But there are more than 7,000 edible plants that are expected to become crops in the future, and about 2,500 plants may provide energy for millions of people.

  Scientists estimate that the risk of species extinction may be much higher than previously thought. It is estimated that 140,000 species (39.4%) of vascular plants are threatened with extinction, up from 21% in 2016.

  Scientists call for the use of artificial intelligence and other technologies to quickly track risk assessments and call for more funding for plant protection.