Many species are still unknown to science. The major threats to plant diversity include habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation, overexploitation, invasive species, pollution, and anthropogenic climate change.

Endangered Plants in the Amazon Rain Forest

• Orchids. Orchids are among the most endangered Amazon rain forest plants.
• Rafflesia Flower. This Amazon rain forest flower is considered one of the rarest and most endangered plants in the world.
• Mangrove Trees.
• Kapok Tree.
• Ecuadorean Rain Forest Flower.
• Bromeliads.

Logging interests cut down rain forest trees for timber used in flooring, furniture, and other items. Power plants and other industries cut and burn trees to generate electricity. The paper industry turns huge tracts of rain forest trees into pulp.

Many activities contribute to this loss including subsistence activities, oil extraction, logging, mining, fires, war, commercial agriculture, cattle ranching, hydroelectric projects, pollution, hunting and poaching, the collection of fuel wood and building material, and road construction.

The main cause of deforestation is agriculture (poorly planned infrastructure is emerging as a big threat too) and the main cause of forest degradation is illegal logging. In 2019, the tropics lost close to 30 soccer fields’ worth of trees every single minute.

Every year from 2011-2015 about 20 million hectares of forest was cut down. Then things started to speed up. Since 2016, an average of 28 million hectares have been cut down every year. That’s one football field of forest lost every single second around the clock.

The Amazon

Aliko Dangote