The disappearance of many species of flora often depends on man and his destructive, as it turns out, activities. Thousands of specimens of rare plants will never be seen by mankind. The Red Book is a list of plants and animals that are either extinct or on the verge of becoming extinct. But even despite the existing record, it is impossible to know exactly how many specimens of certain plants are left in the world.
Disappeared species
Extinct plant species receive this status and their place in the "black list" after the last instance officially documented disappears. Many extinct species are known only from their "remains" - prints on stones, evidence in official documents.
One of the oldest extinct plants is archefructus. Its remains were discovered in 1998 in the Lower Cretaceous in China.
A whole genus of these plants has died out, but their probablewater lilies are considered a descendant or closest relative. Archefructus also grew in ponds, but was not fully formed (for example, there were no petals). Scientists consider this ancient plant the progenitor of all flowering plants in modern history.
Extinct plant species usually belong to the early eras of the development of nature. It is worth mentioning Archeopteris - an ancient fern that grew back in the Paleozoic era. It is considered the oldest tree. Also interesting in its structure is the tree-like plant lepidodendron, which existed in the Carboniferous period. Its leaves grew directly from the trunk, without petioles, so after leaf fall, the trunk remained scarred, which made the bark look like crocodile skin.
Unfortunately, ancient extinct plants are not alone in their fate. Even in the 20th century, it became possible for representatives of the flora to disappear from the face of the Earth. So, for example, the Crian violet, which grew on limestone soils in the southeast of France, was irretrievably lost. An unexpected destruction of limestone led to her death.
As of 2011, 799 species (including fauna) have completely disappeared, 61 species have ceased to exist in the wild, and a huge number are on the verge of extinction. Unfortunately, these numbers only grow every year.
Disappeared in the wild
EW - this status is given to plants that have survived only in captivity. They usually grow in botanical gardens or reserves, where their population is carefully monitored.
Yes,for example, Wood's encephalarthos, which grew on the forest slopes of South Africa, was removed from the wild and placed in botanical gardens around the world. Due to unfavorable conditions, this plant could disappear forever. And all because it is a type of male plant, that is, it does not reproduce in the usual way, but spreads by dividing a single copy.
Endangered plants are sometimes considered completely extinct from the world, but a miracle happens and someone finds the last specimen. This is what happened with the Gibr altar tar, which for many years was considered lost to nature. But in 1994, a climber accidentally stumbled upon this flower high in the mountains. Today, this plant lives in the Gibr altar Botanical Gardens and in the Royal Gardens of London.
Due to the extinction of their only pollinators - nectar birds - a beautiful flower called "Parrot's Beak" has disappeared. Its inflorescences really resemble a bird's beak, although they have a red-orange color. The flower is native to the Canary Islands.
Another interesting flower now growing in captivity is chocolate cosmos. Such an unusual name was given to a Mexican flower that smells of vanilla.
The reason for the disappearance of many plants is human activity, but the natural elements also make their sad contribution. So, after the fires in 1978 in Hawaii, the Kokio flower, which grew only on the trunks of a certain type of tree, disappeared from the wild.
Critically Endangered Species
CR -this category is critical for all endangered species. Perhaps those plants that are in this category have long died, but scientists do not have time to conduct enough research to be convinced of this. In 2011, there were 1,619 plant species under the CR sign.
Endangered plants of Russia are also included in this category. Plants such as ginseng, spring adonis, yellow water lily are on the verge of extinction in our country due to their medicinal properties. Many people, unaware that these are plants from the Red Book, pluck them, thereby destroying the entire population.
One of the rarest plants in the world is the mountain flower Edelweiss. It can be found in the Alps, Altai and the Caucasus, but for this you need to climb to a height of several thousand meters. A flower surrounded by legends, having inflorescences in the form of stars, loves loneliness, although it is the patron saint of lovers.
Plants from the Red Book are forbidden to pick. For example, in Switzerland for such an offense you will have to pay an impressive fine.
Endangered species
EN - the status given to species that are at risk of extinction due to their small numbers or unfavorable environmental and habitat conditions.
Since the first man appeared on the planet, the extinction of animal and plant species began to pick up rapid pace. It was related to both agriculture and hunting.
Which plants are dying out and which aren't can be hard to tell. This is because some areasspecies habitats are simply unknown, it is not possible to establish their exact number.
There are 652 species of plants in the Red Book of Russia that are considered endangered. Among them are half-flowered, flat-leaved snowdrop, fori rhododendron, walnut-bearing lotus, mountain peony and many others.
Endangered plants in Russia are under protection, however, administrative. But in the event of the complete extermination of any plant species from the Red Book, criminal liability will follow.
Vulnerable Species
VU - the protection status of plant species that are at risk of becoming endangered. But there are plants that breed well in captivity and, in fact, are not threatened. However, scientists tend to leave this status behind them, since there is a possibility of a decline in the population in the wild. For example, the carnivorous Venus flytrap, which feeds on insects and sometimes mollusks, has VU status.
This category of plants has more than five thousand plants, including mosses. For example, Russian cornflower, Scythian gorse, bear nut, Gesner's tulip, yew berry, etc.
Species dependent on conservation efforts
Since 1994, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has not added new plant species to this category. CD is a subcategory that is subdivided into three branches:
- depend on save;
- close to vulnerable;
- a little threat.
252 species belonging to this subcategory are listed in the International Red Book. For example, kunonyaround-leaved, several types of Eleocarpus, Mexican viburnum, etc.
Endangered plants almost never return to this category, since it is almost impossible to restore the population of endangered plants.
Close to vulnerable
NT-status is assigned to animals and plants that may fall into the vulnerable group in the near future, but at the moment are not subject to any threat. The main criteria for falling into this category are population decline and global distribution.
In 2011, more than 1200 plants had this status.
Least Concern Species
LC status assigned to all other species and plants and animals that are not assigned to any other category. Endangered plants have never been in this category.
