Number of Flora Species Not Found Bigger 20 Percent

Cambridge-battered variety of threats ranging from habitat loss to climate change, thousands of rare plant species throughout the world is likely to become extinct before scientists find them. According to the study of three British and American scientists, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, the number of species of flowering plants that have not been found in 10-20 percent larger than previous estimates.

"Scientists have estimated that, overall, there are about five million to 50 million species, but less than two million of the species that have been found until now." Said study principal investigator, Lucas Joppa from Microsoft Research in Cambridge, England. "By using Anyar, we can estimate the total species of flowering plants is more accurate, and count how many are up to now not been found."

Based on the plant family data online "World Checklist of Selected Plant Families" at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, scientists calculate species of flowering plants that have not been known to science is much greater, about 10 to 20 percent from original estimates. "This discovery has vast implications for conservation, because many species are still unknown it is likely rare and endangered plants," said Joppa.

New, more accurate estimation can be used to estimate the proportion of all endangered species. "If we take the number of currently known species threatened with extinction, and add them to an undiscovered species, we can estimate that between 27 to 33 percent of all flowering plants will be threatened with extinction," he said. "The percentage that reflects the global impact of various factors such as habitat loss. That number will be even greater if you include other threats such as climate change."