The Red List of Trees of Madagascar provides the first comprehensive assessment of the conservation status of the trees of Madagascar. Madagascar is home to 3,118 tree species, making it the twelfth most species rich country in the world with respect to tree diversity. Moreover, 93% (2,904) of these trees are endemic to Madagascar. Until now, there was very limited data on the conservation status of Madagascar’s trees.
Overall, 1,828 (63%) of Madagascar’s endemic tree species are threatened with extinction (assessed as Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable). The majority of these trees are threatened by small ranges, few locations and declines. The primary threats to Malagasy tree species are logging and wood harvesting, agricultural expansion and increased fires.
Currently, only 285 (16%) of threatened trees endemic to Madagascar are found in ex situ collections. This falls far short of Target 8 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation which states that at least 75% of threatened species should be held in ex situ collections.
This publication establishes the first baseline for the conservation status of the trees of Madagascar and highlights the opportunities to increase and create protections for the island’s unique tree diversity.