Plants under pressure - a global assessment

Kew, together with the Natural History Museum, London and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has completed a global analysis of extinction risk for the world's plants.

The project, entitled Sampled Red List Index for Plants, provides a major baseline for plant conservation and is the first time that the true extent of the threat to the world's estimated 380,000 plants is known.

Our analysis has revealed that global plant life is at risk, with one in five plant species threatened with extinction. Use Kew's interactive map to explore the state of plant life today and find out more about the threat levels facing plants in different countries around the world.

This map shows the average threat level of plant life in different countries around the world.

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Fact & Figures

These facts and figures offer more detail about the issues and activites taking place in different regions.

Brazil - Mata Atlântica

More than 90% of the original Atlantic rain forest has been logged and converted to agriculture or urban areas. Deforestation is an ongoing problem across South America.

South East Asia

Oil palm cultivation in South East Asia is having a devastating affect on native rain forest habitats. The ongoing conversion of natural forest to plantations is threatening many plant species in this region.

Australia

Entire ecosystems are collapsing due to infestation of Phytophthora cinnamomi, originally found in Europe, a soil-borne fungal pathogen that causes roots to rot away. Many native ecosystems are already affected and it continues to spread.

North America

Although the great majority of North American species are not threatened, some species are threatened by expansion and intensification of existing agricultural practices and residential developments.

Madagascar

Madagascar is one the world's poorest countries, but it is one of the richest in terms of biodiversity. There are significant pressures on the environment, including the practice of slash and burn cultivation which has led to many forest areas being lost.

Europe and Asia

Most species found in Europe and Asia have widespread distributions and are not threatened; however, on a local scale ongoing changes in land use still threaten many habitats, and most European habitats have already been subject to massive change in historical times.