BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — A Boise State University researcher is warning about endangered plant species after helping lead an international study identifying the world’s most irreplaceable plants at risk of extinction.
“We are in a biodiversity crisis right now. We have to help people identify which plants to protect first,” said Boise State Associate Professor Dr. Sven Buerki.
Researchers ranked flowering plants (such as roses, orchids and oak trees) based on their uniqueness and how threatened they have become.
“What we found out is that 21 percent of the evolutionary history of flowering plants is at risk of extinction, representing about 10,000 species that we need to take urgent action to protect.”
Dr. Buerki said most previous extinction-risk studies focused on animals, making this one of the most comprehensive efforts centered on plants…