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Mobilizing primary biodiversity data for Mozambican species of conservation concern

Mozambique, heavily dependent on natural resources, faces increasing pressure on its biodiversity. This project aims to digitize data on endemic species and create Red Lists to support sustainable decision-making.

Underestimated threats to global tree biodiversity

Trees are vital to both biodiversity and human society, providing habitat for half of the world’s terrestrial species and delivering economic, cultural, and spiritual benefits. Despite extinction risk assessments covering over 92% of tree species, around 7,700 remain unassessed. This study analyzed 32,000 species, mapping their exposure to six anthropogenic threats over the last two decades. Findings reveal that while many species face increasing threats, less than 10% are officially listed as threatened by the IUCN, with numerous assessments outdated or missing. Regions such as South America, sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia show the highest exposure, while Arctic regions emerge as relative threat hotspots. Overall, the results suggest a significant underestimation of extinction risk for trees.

The West African Plants Initiative

The West African Plants (WAP) Initiative addresses the uneven global distribution of biodiversity data, which is often highest in wealthy but less biodiverse regions. By empowering local researchers to access, digitize, and mobilize plant collections, WAP has generated over 190,000 primary biodiversity records across 16 West African countries at minimal cost. This effort has increased the digital knowledge of West African flora by more than 50%, highlighting a model for equitable data sharing and capacity building in biodiversity research worldwide.