Red listing the flora of the Green Islands reveals high extinction risk in the Azores.
Roxo G, Silva L, Elias RB, Pereira D, Carine M
Native Plants
If you've ever grown a rare island plant or visited botanical gardens showcasing Macaronesian flora, many of those species now have a clock ticking — and the wild populations they were collected from may be gone within decades.
The Azores, a group of Portuguese islands in the Atlantic, are home to nearly 100 plant species found nowhere else on Earth. Scientists checked the survival status of all of them and discovered that more than half are in serious danger of disappearing forever, with two already gone. The biggest threats are habitat loss and invasive plants crowding them out, and some of the most important refuges for these unique plants aren't even legally protected yet.
Key Findings
59% of the 94 assessed Azorean endemic vascular plant taxa are threatened with extinction, with Endangered being the most common category.
Two species are already confirmed Extinct, and 12 taxa remain unassessed due to unresolved taxonomy.
12 biodiversity hotspots for endemic plants fall entirely outside the existing protected area network.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Nearly 60% of the Azores' unique island plants are threatened with extinction, according to the first complete Red List assessment of the archipelago's endemic flora. The study also found that 12 critical refuges for these plants sit outside protected area boundaries.
Abstract Preview
Oceanic islands are global biodiversity hotspots, yet they face disproportionate risks of species extinction. The Azores archipelago holds a unique flora composed of 94 endemic vascular plant taxa ...
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