One-fifth of the World's Plants are Under Threat of Extinction

A study conducted by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Natural History Museum, London and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has revealed that one in five of the world's plant species are threatened with extinction. The study was in response to the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity and the 2010 Biodiversity Target.

The study gives a clear global picture of extinction threat to the world's known plants. According to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew's Director, Professor Stephen Hopper plants are the foundation of biodiversity and their significance in uncertain climatic, economic and political times has been overlooked for far too long.

The study revealed that Plants are more threatened than birds, as threatened as mammals and less threatened than amphibians or corals. Gymnosperms are the most threatened group. The most threatened habitat is tropical rain forest.

The study assumes significance against backdrop that governments are to meet in Nagoya, Japan in mid-October 2010 to set new targets at the United Nations Biodiversity Summit.

For more information log on to Kew Gardens.