Two hundred scientists from 30 countries have contributed to a new report on the state of plants across the globe – and its findings are alarming. Published by London's world-famous Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, the survey says three out of every four unregistered species face extinction. 

The State of the World's Plants and Fungi is Kew's fifth such report and reflects years of research, as well as the dangers of losing natural habitats.

Kew is far more than a botanical garden and tourist attraction. It's also a leading scientific institution that cooperates with biologists across the world.

The new report presents evidence of what its authors call the 'nature emergency' and details the priorities required to try to deal with it.

Alexandre Antonelli, director of science at Royal Botanical Gardens Kew, told CGTN: "One of the key findings we're presenting in this report is the estimate that 45 percent of all plants are threatened with extinction, which is extremely serious."

Antonelli said the situation is even worse "for these species that we are describing as new to science." He said: "About 77 percent, more than three in four plant species of those that we are discovering every day, are threatened."

Among the data in the Kew report are the almost 75,000 known animal species, with an estimated total of 80,500. Globally 400,000 different plants have been recorded – with an estimated 50,000 yet to be documented. We also know of about 155,000 varieties of fungi, but 90 per cent are still undiscovered.

Then there's invertebrates. We're aware of almost 1.5 million different types – but that's only a fraction of the estimated number of species worldwide.

Kew's senior research leader in mycology, Ester Gaya, argues there are other reasons to tap into the estimated several million unidentified fungi. All life on Earth depends on plants, and plants depend on fungi. Scientists study their multiple ecological roles and yet we know far less about them than other plants.

Gaya told CGTN: "For the 155,000 species of fungi that we have already described, that we already know, we know that they have amazing properties (and) many of them are edible. They have a high content in protein, very high-quality protein, but also they have medicinal properties. Lots of drugs that we are currently taking come originally from fungi, the classic one being antibiotics."

The dangers they face aren't limited to climate change, but loss of habitats too. Hands-on scientific research in the field, like in Brazil's Amazon rainforest, is hugely important in gathering information.

According to Matilda Brown, Kew's researcher in conservation assessment and analysis: "The primary threat to plants is, without a doubt, habitat loss. It's looking at the loss of areas of native vegetation. Without an area to live in, these plants simply can't survive."

She added: "Climate change is very much on the horizon, but it's a lot harder to document. It's really hard to put a number on what effect climate change is going to have on species."     

More research is needed, and this report calls for more investments, especially in South America, South Africa and southeast Asia.

It also wants to encourage 'citizen science' in which all of us help where we can in finding, logging and sending samples to be analyzed.  

Despite the increasing number of plant species thought to be at risk of extinction, there is some hope that scientific research and careful documentation can lead to supporting and protecting previously unknown species in future.

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