Scientists estimate that 9,200 tree species remain to be discovered

The largest database of forests compiled to date, the work of a hundred scientists, estimates that there are 73,000 species of trees on Earth, including some 9,200 species yet to be discovered.

The global estimate exceeds the current number of known tree species by 14%. According to the study, published in the journal ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences’, it is likely that most of them have very small populations and a limited spatial distribution.

This makes undiscovered species especially vulnerable to human-caused disturbances such as deforestation and climate change, according to the study’s authors, who say the new findings will help prioritize conservation efforts.

“These results highlight the vulnerability of global forest biodiversity to anthropogenic changes, in particular land use and climate, as the survival of rare taxa is disproportionately threatened by these pressures.”University of Michigan forest ecologist Peter Reich, one of the study’s two lead authors, said in a statement.

“By establishing a quantitative benchmark, this study could contribute to tree and forest conservation efforts and the future discovery of in certain parts of the worldadds Reich, director of the Institute for Global Change Biology at the UM School of Environment and Sustainability.

For the study, the researchers combined tree abundance and presence data from two global data sets—one from the Global Forest Biodiversity Initiative and the other from TREECHANGE—using data from land-based forest plots. The combined databases yielded , a similar total to an earlier study that found some 60,000 tree species on the planet.

“We combined individual datasets into one huge tree-level global dataset –explains the study’s other lead author, Jingjing Liang of Purdue University, coordinator of the Global Forest Biodiversity Initiative.-. Each set comes from someone who goes to a forest and measures each tree, collecting information about the tree species, their size, and other characteristics. Counting the number of tree species around the world is like a puzzle

After combining the data sets, the researchers used novel statistical methods to estimate the total number of unique tree species at biome, continental and global scales, including species that have yet to be discovered or described by scientists.

Their conservative estimate of the total number of tree species on Earth is 73,274, which means there are probably u, according to the researchers, who say their new study uses a much larger data set and more advanced statistical methods than attempts. previous methods of estimating the tree diversity of the planet.

The researchers used modern developments of techniques first devised by mathematician Alan Turing during World War II to crack the Nazi code, Reich notes.

Approximately 40% of tree species remain undiscovered – more than on any other continent – which is repeatedly mentioned in the study as being of particular importance to global tree diversity.

South America is also the continent with the highest estimated number of rare tree species (about 8,200) and the highest estimated percentage (49%) of endemic tree species on the continent, that is, species that are only found on that continent.

Hotspots for undiscovered South American tree species are likely to include the tropical and subtropical moist forests of the Amazon Basin, as well as Andean forests between 1,000 meters and 3,500 meters.

“Beyond the 27,000 known tree species in South America, there could be another 4,000 species yet to be discovered. Most of them could be endemic and located in diversity hotspots in the Amazon Basin and the Andes-Amazon interface.”, emphasizes Reich.

“This makes forest conservation a top priority in South America, especially considering the current crisis in tropical forests due to anthropogenic impacts such as”, go on.

Worldwide, between one-half and two-thirds of all known tree species are found in tropical and subtropical moist forests, which are rich in species and poorly studied by scientists. Tropical and subtropical dry forests probably also contain a large number of as yet undiscovered tree species.

“A broad knowledge of the richness and diversity of trees is essential to preserve the stability and ”, affirms the main author of the study, Roberto Cazzolla Gatti, of the University of Bologna (Italy).

Forests lend many to humanity for free. In addition to providing timber, fuelwood, fiber, and other products, forests clean the air, filter water, and help control erosion and flooding. They help preserve biodiversity, store climate-warming carbon, and support soil formation and nutrient cycling, while providing recreational opportunities such as hiking, camping, fishing, and hunting.