Scientists count the world's tree species (spoiler: it's a bunch)

WASHINGTON : From the monkey puzzle tree of Peru to the Tasmanian blue gum of Australia, from the baobabs of Madagascar to the giant sequoias of California, the world is blessed with an abundance of tree species. How many? A new study has the answer.

South America, home to the enormously biodiverse Amazon rainforest and farflung Andean forests, was found to harbor 43per cent of the planet's tree species and the largest number of rare species, at about 8,200. "Indeed, our society often considers forests as just pieces of wood and trees as natural resources, ignoring their fundamental role for humankind in providing ecosystem services that go behind the mere economic - even if important - timber, paper and pulp production. From trees and forests humanity gets inspiration, relaxation, spirituality and essentially the meaning of life," Gatti added.

"This information is important because tree species are going extinct due to deforestation and climate change, and understanding the value of that diversity requires us to know what is there in the first place before we lose it," Reich said."Tree species diversity is key to maintaining healthy, productive forests, and important to the global economy and to nature."

Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

'Predatory' taxi driver raped and abused female passengers during journeysHomayon Ahmadi kept a pencil case full of condoms and baby oil in the glove compartment of his taxi.
Source: YahooSG - 🏆 3. / 71 Read more »

New freshwater fish species emerges from case of mistaken identity
Source: straits_times - 🏆 5. / 69 Read more »

Florida is so cold iguanas are falling out of trees
Source: STForeignDesk - 🏆 4. / 71 Read more »

Man, 71, gets jail for cheating CPF Board into giving him income support for over 10 yearsFor over a decade, the elderly man duped the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board into thinking that he and his wife were employees of a company earning $1,000 a month so they would get payouts and CPF contributions. Read more at stomp.straitstimes.com
Source: stompsingapore - 🏆 11. / 53 Read more »

Chinese scientists create AI nanny to look after babies in artificial wombAn artificial womb for foetuses to safely grow in, and a robotic nanny to monitor and take care of them. All within the realm of possibility, say Chinese scientists, in what could be a breakthrough for the future of childbearing in a country facing its lowest birth rates in decades. That is, once the law allows the use of such...
Source: asiaonecom - 🏆 10. / 59 Read more »