The ancient endemic trees of Ecuador’s Amazon are sending out a distress signal. Guevara-Andino and colleagues from Universidad de las Américas combined traditional herbarium records with modern forest surveys to assess 81 tree species that exist nowhere else on Earth. Their findings paint a stark picture – 47% are classified as Endangered, and a further 14% of these unique trees are Critically Endangered. As these botanical giants face mounting pressure from deforestation, understanding their status becomes crucial for protecting the irreplaceable diversity of one of Earth’s most species-rich forests.
Within this complex Amazonian ecosystem, the research revealed striking patterns. The most endangered species cluster within a few plant families, with the myrtle family harbouring the highest number of critically endangered trees. Surprisingly, smaller understorey trees with small fruits face greater extinction risks than towering canopy species.
The problem lies in the decline of forest animals responsible for spreading these small fruits’ seeds. This finding reveals the complex interplay between forest ecology and species survival. “Thus, our results highlight the importance of incorporating meaningful ecological traits in extinction risk estimates, such as those related to reproduction and life history strategies,” said co–corresponding author María-José Endara, PhD.
The researchers analyzed data from eighty carefully selected one-hectare forest plots across Ecuador’s Amazon, integrating this with historical specimens from herbarium collections worldwide. Using satellite technology, they tracked forest loss in areas where these unique trees grow. International conservation criteria helped assess each species’ risk level, considering both geographic range and habitat quality in their evaluation.
“We found that some endemic tree species populations are experiencing high levels of threat by deforestation inside the Yasuní National Park, the biggest and most iconic protected area in the Ecuadorian Amazon,” said lead author Juan Ernesto Guevara-Andino, PhD.
The urgency of this research becomes clear against broader trends in the Amazon. Ecuador’s portion of this great forest is experiencing one of the highest deforestation rates in the Northwestern Amazon, with projections suggesting 27% of forest cover could vanish by 2030. Even trees within protected areas face threats – already, 21% of forest areas containing endemic species have been lost. This dramatic decline represents a significant escalation from previous assessments, revealing an accelerating crisis for these irreplaceable organisms.
Guevara-Andino, J. E., Navas-Muñoz, D., & Endara, M.-J. 2024. High extinction risk of the endemic tree flora in a hyper-diverse region of the Amazon. Plants, People, Planet. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10606
