State of the world's plants

On Wednesday the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, the world’s preeminent botanical institution, published a new report that assesses the planet’s population of flora.

The State of the World’s Plants report was published to coincide with a symposium held at Kew intended to take stock of the world’s plant diversity, the threats poised and research underway.

Here is a snapshot of some of the findings detailed:-

There are 391,000 plant species known to science. In 2015 2,034 new species were discovered with the main three sources for new species being Brazil, Australia and China.

At least 31,128 plant species currently have a documented use, fulfilling a particular need for humans, animals or the wider environment. Uses range from food, medicine, materials and fuel to poisons, gene sources and social uses.

However, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 21% of global plant species are currently threatened with extinction. The main pressures are from climate change, change in land use and invasive species.

At least 10% of the Earth’s vegetation is demonstrating a high degree of sensitivity to changes in climate and since the year 2000 vegetation in 10 out of the 14 biomes (distinct areas of vegetation on the planet) has declined in productivity.

There are now nearly 5,000 plants classified as invasive as a result of centuries of humans moving plants around the globe. It is estimated that invasive species cost the UK economy £1.7 Billion a year.

The two biggest threats to plants are pests and diseases, with plant pathogens estimated to cause annual crop yield losses of up to 16% globally.

A full copy of the State of the World’s Plants report can be viewed here