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Teasel(Dispsacus sylvestris), is a non-native species moving aggressively into the streamside and roadside areas in the Sacremento Mountains of New Mexico. It is threatening the extinction of the Cirsium vinaceum, a rare native thistle.
© Laure F. Huenneke, NMSU |
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Pacific Yew Tree, the anti-cancer drug taxol is derived from this threatened species.
© 1998 Steven Foster |
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According to the study, a twenty-year effort collaboration between sixteen organizations, the main causes are habitat destruction and the introduction of non-native species. What's more, the study emphasizes that these statistics are "just the tip of the iceberg;" little is known about many areas, and more information is sure to reveal more dire situations. Twenty-nine percent of plants in the United States are at risk.
The list of threatened species includes many of significant medicinal value. For example, seventy-five percent of the yew family, from which anti-cancer drug taxol is derived, is threatened. The report is a reminder of the critical importance of strengthening the Endangered Species Act.
Preserving Biodiversity Means Saving Ourselves
Scientists estimate that some 10 million or so species still await discovery, many of them from rain forests. Who knows what cures they may contain? One thing is certain: unless, we conserve and protect their habitat, we'll never know.
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