According to the Global Tree Assessment, contained in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, more than 16,000 tree species are threatened with extinction.
As part of the study, more than 47,000 species of trees were evaluated out of the approximately 58,000 species believed to exist in the world.
The numbers are not just symbolic. Humans "rely on tree species for food, timber, fuel and medicine," expert Emily Beech told AFP.
They also produce the oxygen we breathe and absorb carbon dioxide emissions.
"Trees are essential for supporting life on Earth through their vital role in ecosystems, and millions of people depend on them for their lives and livelihoods," said IUCN Director-General Grethel Aguilar.
According to a 2015 study, there are approximately three trillion individual trees in the world.
According to the newest study, published in the scientific journal Nature, more than 15 billion trees are cut down every year and the global number of trees has been reduced by almost half since the beginning of human civilization.
Which species are most threatened?
Over 5,000 of the IUCN Red List species are used for timber and more than 2,000 species for medicine, food and fuel.
Species at risk include horse chestnut and gigo, both used for medicinal applications, broadleaf mahogany used in furniture making, and many species of magnolia and eucalyptus.
According to the IUCN report, the number of trees at risk is "more than twice the number of all threatened birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians combined".
Tree species are threatened with extinction in 192 countries, but the largest proportion are found on islands due to rapid urban development and agricultural expansion, as well as the introduction of invasive species, pests and diseases from other areas.
In South America, which has the greatest diversity of trees in the world, 3,356 of the 13,668 species assessed are threatened with extinction. Many species on the continent where the Amazon jungle is located have probably not even been discovered yet.
Seed banks are essential
The report emphasizes the need to protect and restore forests through tree planting, as well as to preserve endangered species through seed banks.
More than 1,000 experts contributed to the assessment.
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