Who finds an island, finds a treasure

Islands cover just 5.3% of the world’s land area, but they contribute disproportionately to global biodiversity, as these isolated environments serve as natural laboratories for understanding how species evolve and adapt.

Islands are also centers of species diversity. 21% of the world’s total plant species are endemic to islands, meaning they occur nowhere else on the planet.

Endemic species are concentrated on large tropical islands such as Madagascar, New Guinea and Borneo.

Fewer plant species overall are found at ocean archipelagos such as Hawaii, the Canary Islands and the Mascarenes, but a large share of their species are still unique to these islands.

Island plants are at much greater risk of extinction than species found in mainland areas, for reasons such as small population sizes, habitat degradation, threats from invasive plant and animal species, or climate change.

Alarmingly, 176 of plant species endemic to islands are already classified as extinct, accounting for 55% of all known extinct plant species globally. So, assessing the conservation status of island floras is important.

Much more research is needed to determine the best conservation strategies for all these plant species. Accurate data is vital to guide future conservation strategies and safeguard against further loss.

Urgent action is needed to protect island biodiversity. This includes expanding protected areas, prioritizing regions with high numbers of endemic species, and implementing habitat restoration projects.

Without such measures, the unique floral diversity of islands may continue to decline, with potentially severe consequences for global biodiversity.?

#Islands #Plants #Biodiversity #EndemicSpecies