More than half the native European tree species are facing extinction, it was reported last week. Now that is one of many signs that things are going horribly wrong for our planet, and we should do more to stop them going wrong.
The silver lining about plant extinctions though is that they are very easy to prevent. As I learned when I researched the feature about the conservation role of botanic gardens last year, experts think there is no reason to let any plant go extinct. Most can be kept as seeds and can be readily regrown. The only troublesome plant species are the weird and wonderful ones, microscopic, parasitic, mosses, liverworts, that kind of thing. As I remember it, European trees are probably fairly well looked after, so even if they are in trouble right now, they won't disappear from the face of the planet.
That feature is now in the open archives:
Can botanic gardens save all plants?
Some European trees seen at Parsons Pleasure, practically on my doorstep. (Own photo)
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