Half of All Plants in the World Are on the Brink of Extinction

We often talk about the extermination of wild animals, and how in just the last 50 years, humans have destroyed over 70% of all living species on the planet. But what about plants? The green world, which people generally ignore, what is happening to it?

The situation is actually scarier than one might imagine. Yesterday, I was studying a scientific report by researchers about the state of the world's plants. It's called 'State of the World’s' and was published in 2023.

Unfortunately, it went largely unnoticed. I am amazed at how such extensive scientific works get ignored by society: after all, we're talking about our home, our own habitat.

But it's quite simple: the fact is that while wild animals evoke empathy in people, plants interest very few. So entire branches of the plant world are dying out, so what?

No one thinks that if plants become extinct, so will the animal world, from the most primitive organisms to large mammals. It means there will be no food base, no nourishment, no habitat.

I'll start my material with three main conclusions that you should remember and share with your loved ones! These are the things every person should know:

1. In the near future, humans will lose HALF OF ALL MEDICINES due to the global extinction of plants.

   
   

2. 45% of all plants on Earth are on the brink of total extinction.

   
   
3. Even plants that have not yet been described by science are on the verge of extinction: 3 out of 4 such plants will disappear from the face of the earth in the near future.

Now let's examine the scale of the global ecocide in detail. I carefully studied the scientific report; it took me three days to fully understand the research results. The work was conducted by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

According to the report, humanity will lose up to half of ALL MEDICINES in the near future because many of the plants used to make them will simply disappear.

Moreover, scientists note that many plants go extinct between their first discovery (study) and inclusion in the catalog, which takes an average of 16 years. A huge number of plants have not even been studied by science yet, we know nothing about them! But they are already on the verge of extinction.

I want to quote conservation analyst Matilda Brown, who is one of the authors of the study.

“We study more than 100,000 species that are threatened with extinction — that's more than the total number of species of mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, all our vertebrates put together [...] And given that nine out of 10 of our medicines are made from plants, we potentially risk losing up to half of all our future medicines. So it's not just a big number if you're a plant. It's a big number in terms of potential consequences for humanity.”

Many newly described species are already on the brink of extinction. Scientists have identified 'dark spots' of plant extinction, almost all located in regions with the highest biodiversity on earth: the entire Amazon basin (South America), India, China, all of Southeast Asia, and other regions of the world. These are regions where up to 90% of all biological diversity of Earth's Biosphere is concentrated.

It's worth noting that over 200 scientists from 102 institutions in 30 countries worked on the report about the state of plants in the world. Imagine the scale of the scientific effort! Over 350,000 plants from all corners of the Earth have been studied.

Scientists say that they discover about 2,500 new plant species each year (not counting fungi). Of every four newly discovered plants, only one species is not on the verge of extinction.

The opinions of mycologists studying fungi are interesting. They estimated that there are about 2.5 million species of fungi in the world, only 155,000 of which are cataloged and known to science!

Here's a quote from Alexander Antonelli, Professor and Scientific Director of Kew.

“We know more about the surface of Mars than about fungi on this planet.”

Scientists add that at the current rate of studying and cataloging fungi, it would take about 1,000 years to describe all existing species.

All of this is already on the brink of extinction because of humans! That's why scientists urge treating all newly described species as if they were evaluated as endangered. That is, all new species should automatically be recognized as on the brink of extinction until proven otherwise!

Every day, while we continue to live according to the usual consumption model, the planet loses more species, and each day we move further from understanding what we are losing. As one of the report's authors said: “People do not take species extinction seriously because they do not see immediate harm to themselves.” If we do not change our attitude towards nature, the consequences will be catastrophic not only for wildlife but also for humanity itself.

We are already old! Half of our lives are behind us. But our children, grandchildren, and their descendants will live on this earth. What will we leave them? What legacy will we pass on to our children if we destroy even our own habitat?

Half of all plants in the world are on the brink of extinction, according to scientists' estimates, this is 45% of all flowering plants on Earth. Colossal figures! But where is the world's unification over such a global problem? Where is the public interest in the living world around us?

Oh, plants do not look like us...

Oh, plants do not evoke empathy...

Is it just grass? Just trees? Why pay any attention to them at all?

Plants and fungi play a key role in maintaining nutrient cycles in soils, regulating water balance, shaping the climate, and serving as sources of food and medicinal substances. The fundamental importance of plants and fungi for the health of our planet cannot be overstated. For example, without fungi, trees could not exist, as mycorrhizal fungi provide their roots with essential nutrients.

Moreover, according to new scientific studies, trees COMMUNICATE through mycorrhizal connections and exchange nutrients. This includes releasing specific nutrient flows for the younger generation, which the older trees take care of! They protect their offspring.

Ecosystems that formed over thousands of years, with an evolutionary history spanning millions of years, have been destroyed by humans in just a few decades!

We know nothing about this world! Act like a mindless disease spreading across Earth's Biosphere, devouring everything living we see around us.

And now we've reached the fateful line. It's time to reconsider! To stop! And reassess our relationship with nature. Each of us must do this. Don't look at your neighbors, don't look at those around you, look - inside yourself! Deep into your soul and heart.

Become part of Life again, like our distant Ancestors!

Wake up, Dear Ones - the Earth needs you.

© PAVEL PASHKOV