Even our most revered plants are in a lot of trouble, from soaring coastal redwoods to dinosaur-era Wollemi pines and firs that make the perfect Christmas tree.
According to a new study, the loss of some species will threaten the entire environment.
One-third of all tree species are at risk of extinction according to a global assessment last year.
There are about 15000 unique tree species that are in danger.
It is more than double the number of threatened animals.
The lonesome pine in Mauritius is one of the rare trees.
The same team of researchers behind the State of the World's Trees report in a new paper that there is a warning to humanity about the consequences of these losses.
The impacts of these losses will have on our economies, livelihoods, and food, according to a group of biologists.
Most of our fruit comes from trees, with non-timber products amounting to about US$88 billion worth of trade.
In the developing world, 884 million people rely on firewood for fuel, and 1.6 billion people live within 3 miles of a forest, relying on them for food and income.
Billions of trees are destroyed each year in order to clear land for farming and development.
All sorts of single- and multicellular-life forms are found in trees, including other plants. This whole world dies if a tree is lost. The supportive base for the whole web of life around them is formed by them.
Half of the world's animals and plants depend on trees.
The root of extinction concerns for animals or birds is habitat loss, according to Rivers. If we don't take care of the trees, we won't be able to take care of the other creatures.
The whole living system is more vulnerable because of the loss of diversity.
Lower chances of surviving the many threats battering the complex web of interactions that is life on Earth is due to less variation in immune response, genes, and responses to environmental conditions.
There are some tree species that can't be replaced by others.
The dragonsblood trees, which are leftover from the ancient Oligocene woodlands, are host to many other species that are dependent on them, including many other plants and the gecko that pollinates them.
The extinction of a single species can cause a domino effect, even if they are rare.
More forests around the world are showing signs of increasing stress, and species that rely on our dwindling forests have already declined by around 53 percent.
The other life trees interact with this as well.
Earth's soil, atmosphere, and weather are interwoven with trees, which clean our air, make it rain, and give us oxygen. Three-quarters of the world's accessible freshwater is stored by them.
Our planet will be thrown into disarray if we lose enough trees.
According to Rivers, forests store more carbon than monocultures.
It's true for many ecological functions, not just carbon capture, but providing habitat to animals, resilience to pests and diseases, resilience to storms and adverse weather. We will lose diversity in all organisms because of tree diversity being lost.
A few tree species are getting lucky and able to take advantage of the rapid environmental changes we've caused. Many more are being destroyed by the same processes
Much needs to be done to combat this at a collective level, but we all can play a part by recognizing the importance of trees. At a time when the UK needs plants more than ever, fewer people are taking up botanical education.
In the lead-up to the UN's Cop15 biodiversity conference this December, Rivers and colleagues urge leaders to integrate trees into climate policies. All of us must think of the trees.
The research was published in a journal.
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