A third of global tree species threatened with extinction

Paris: Around a third of all the world’s tree species are threatened with extinction, according to a global index published Wednesday, 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".

The study looked at the risks to 58,497 tree species worldwide and found that 30 percent (17,500) are threatened with extinction, with a further seven percent listed as "possibly threatened".

Well-known trees such as magnolias were among the most threatened, while oaks, maples and ebonies were also deemed at risk. Some 142 tree species were found to be extinct, and more than 440 have fewer than 50 individual trees in the wild.

"Many tree species are on the brink of extinction, some represented by one last living individual," said Jean-Christophe Vie, Director General of Fondation Franklinia, in a foreword to the report.