Almost 50% Of Worldwide Palm Trees Are at Risk, Will Its Extinction Affect Biodiversity?

A study found that over a thousand different species of palm trees are in danger of going extinct.

Artificial intelligence was employed by scientists to evaluate the dangers posed by all members of the palm family, from big trees to climbing plants.

Palm trees in the world

(Photo : Gilberto Olimpio/Unsplash)

Millions of people rely on the enormous palm plant family for food, water, and shelter. More than a thousand palm species, some of which may be vulnerable, need to be protected, according to study leader Dr. Sidonie Bellot of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, as per BBC News.

She stated that to conserve plants on the ground and to get more information about them, action must be taken, and this can't be done without such participation of the local populations that rely on the palms for everyday needs.

Scientists worry that less well-known wild relatives of well-known ornamental or commercially grown palms are in danger of going extinct.

The Kew-led team decided to investigate machine learning as a technique because official assessments of extinction danger are time-consuming and expensive.

According to their research, just over half of the world's palm species-more than a thousand species-are in danger of going extinct.

Dr. Rodrigo Cámara-Leret of the University of Zurich, who worked on the study, palms are among the most recognizable and important plant categories in the tropics.

Among all plant families, palms are some of the most economically significant since millions of people throughout the world rely on hundreds of wild species.

In addition to providing food and medication for hundreds of communities throughout the tropics, they also give building supplies for homes and tools.

The study, which was published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, indicates that at least 185 palm species that are useful may be threatened in 92 places, underscoring the significance of protecting these plants.

A wealth of the Palm Trees

When it regards natural resources, palm palms are among the richest trees on the planet. Every part of a palm tree can be used to make money; nothing is wasted, as per This Day.

The most well-known commodity made from palm trees is palm oil. Consuming palm oil is incredibly wholesome and nourishing for people. Due to palm trees, wood and plank can be obtained for the construction of buildings.

Palm wine is a sweet, flavorful beverage made from the sap of different species of palm trees, including date palms, Palmyra, and coconut palms.

No home, whether wealthy or poor, is without brooms. In Nigeria, brooms are used for sweeping and clearing cobwebs.

A palm fruit's edible seed is called a palm kernel. When applied to the hair, palm kernel oil makes hair thicker and less prone to breakage, softens the skin, aids in the body's detoxification, regulates blood pressure, and treats body odor.

Palm kernel oil is derived from the palm kernel seed and is an excellent treatment for epilepsy. It is also a rich antioxidant agent that contains vitamin E and prevents signs and symptoms of aging.

Roofs are constructed with purling made from frond stalls. Matting, baskets, caps, and other items can be tied to plants as well as other objects with mats' leaf fiber, which is derived from the raffia palm's leaves.

The majority of the time, mass sales of baskets to distant locations in which they are utilized for various purposes are created from the leaves and fiber of palm trees.

Managing a palm plantation is the agricultural venture that I would most strongly advise someone to pursue since it is one that will last for many generations.