People Making a difference
Dino Martins
Dr. Dino J. Martins is a Kenyan entomologist and evolutionary biologist . Making a difference on the evolution and ecology of interactions between species: insects and plants, vectors and hosts and parasites. Learn more from him: People, Plants and Pollinators (National Geographic).
Matt Candeias
"Plants are everything on this planet. They have this amazing ability to use our nearest star to break apart water and CO2 gas in order to grow and reproduce. From the smallest duckweed to the tallest redwood, the botanical world is full of amazing evolutionary stories." Matt tells those stories from his blog.
Greta Thunberg and other Students: FridaysForFuture
Open Letter (from the global coordination group of the youth-led climate strike) : Climate crisis and a betrayed generation. Students issue an open letter ahead of global day of action on 15 March (2019), when young people are expected to strike across 50 nations . In addition, Oya support those that voice the need for action on the climate crisis: #FridaysforFuture.
The IUCN Red List
Theaceae
Theaceae s.s. includes about 350 taxa in 10 genera. The family is most famous for including the species of tea (Camellia sinensis) and its wild crop relatives. But Theaceae also includes many horticulturally significant shrubs and trees and many economically important timber species. There is also a growing interest in the medicinal and health benefits of certain Theaceae taxa.
Magnoliaceae
The 2016 Red List of Magnoliaceae (published 18 March 2016) highlights the startling truth that many species in this treasured plant family are at risk of going extinct. The Red List of Magnoliaceae presents conservation assessments conducted by experts for 304 wild magnolia species from around the world. The assessments have been carried out using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria,
Rhododendrons
In 2011, The Red List of Rhododendrons was published. This research, led by BGCI and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, showed that a quarter of the 1157 Rhododendron species are under threat in the wild and require conservation action.
Threatened Plant Species
Global Ecoregions
"Biodiversity is not spread evenly across the Earth but follows complex patterns determined by climate, geology and the evolutionary history of the planet. These patterns are called "ecoregions". The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) defines an ecoregion as a "large unit of land or water containing a geographically distinct assemblage of species, natural communities, and environmental conditions".
Photo: SEDACMaps, WWF Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World dataset, Feb. 2006.
Categories and Criteria
"The IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria are intended to be an easily and widely understood system for classifying species at high risk of global extinction. The general aim of the system is to provide an explicit, objective framework for the classification of the broadest range of species according to their extinction risk."
Photo: “Kadua parvula” (CR) by David Eickhoff.
Classification Schemes
"The IUCN Red List Classification Schemes used in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ include: Habitat, Threats, Stresses, Conservation Actions Needed, Research Needed, Use and Trade, Plant Growth Forms, Livelihood, Ecosystems services."
Photo: Beaver Dam Wash National Conservation Area, Bureau of Land Management, US.
Critically Endangered (CR)
“A taxon is Critically Endangered (CR) when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Critically Endangered, and it is considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.”
Endangered (EN)
“A taxon is Endangered (EN) when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Endangered, and it is considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.”
Vulnerable
“A taxon is Vulnerable (VU) when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Vulnerable, and it is considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.”
Earth's Images
NASA Earth Images
Literally see what NASA's project on “Global Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet” shows us on our changing planet. NASA ".. provides the public with accurate and timely news and information about Earth’s changing climate, along with current data and visualizations ..."
ECOSTRESS
The ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) will measure the temperature of plants and use that information to better understand how much water plants need and how they respond to stress. ECOSTRESS will address three overarching science questions:
- How is the terrestrial biosphere responding to changes in water availability?
- How do changes in diurnal vegetation water stress impact the global carbon cycle?
- Can agricultural vulnerability be reduced through advanced monitoring of agricultural water consumptive use and improved drought estimation?
Nature Conservation Bodies (... we love!)
iNaturalist
Looking for photos and information on plants?
We love this website as it gets naturalists connected with nature!
Flora & Fauna International (FFI)
FFI's focus on the environment is critical to understand why plants are being threatened.
Conservation International
Protecting the nature we all rely on for food, fresh water and livelihoods.
World Conservation Monitoring Centre
UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre is a world leader in biodiversity knowledge.
The Nature Conservancy
A nature conservation body "grounded in science and collaborative from the beginning".