Catalog – Tech-Science – More than a thousand species of palm are threatened with extinction

The researchers used artificial intelligence to assess the risks to the entire palm family. The BBC news portal reported on Tuesday that data obtained in this way provides better insight into which palm species are at risk.

Palms are a huge family of trees, providing food, drink and shelter for millions. Palm trees are among the most economically important trees.

Sidonie Bilott, a scientist at the Royal Botanic Garden in Kew (Keew Gardens) and lead author of the study, drew attention to the need to do everything to conserve more than a thousand threatened palm species. He added: “Trees must be preserved in their environment and more data must be collected on them, which is unimaginable without people living around palm habitats and using fruit, wood and leaves.”

According to the researchers, Madagascar, New Guinea, the Philippines, Hawaii, Borneo, Jamaica, Vietnam, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Indonesia’s Sulawesi are the regions most in need of palm protection.

According to the study, published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, at least 185 exploited palm species in 92 regions may be endangered, so effective action is needed.