One-third of Africa's tropical plant species are on the verge of extinction

One-third of Africa's tropical plants on the verge of extinction according to a study by the French National Institute for Sustainable Development. Species at risk include trees, shrubs, herbs and woody vines. West Africa, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Congo (Kinshasa) are the worst-hit countries. They could lose more than 40 per cent of their floral diversity. Reasons include deforestation, population growth and climate change. The study findings have been published in the journal ‘Science Advances’. Floral extinction is a less-studied topic than faunal. Seventeen per cent of tropical African plant species are likely to be under threat, and 14 per cent are potentially threatened, according to the study.