A third of global tree species threatened with extinction

A study looked at the risks to 58,497 tree species worldwide and found that 30% (17,500) are threatened with extinction, with a further 7% listed as "possibly threatened". Photo: AFP

Around a third of all the world's tree species are threatened with extinction, according to a global index published Sept 1, warning that climate change could tip some forests into ecosystem collapse.

Land clearance for farming – both crops and livestock – and logging are by far the biggest threats to trees, the State of the World's Trees report said, adding that climate change was also "having a clearly measurable impact".