For example, Venus flytraps live only in bogs in North and South Carolina. Their habitat is threatened. Ecologists recently asked the U.S. government to list the species as endangered.
Nic Lughadha directed a recent project to list threatened plant species around the world. But it’s not an easy task.
It is very hard “to be absolutely positive that a plant species has become extinct,” says Nic Lughadha. “Even if a species has not been seen for many years, it may be able to survive as seed buried underground,” she says.
Why should we care about endangered plants? Most life on Earth depends on plants for survival. Plants provide animals and humans shelter and food. One-third of the calories humans consume come from plants, including corn, wheat, and rice. And the calories that aren’t from plants come from animals that eat plants.
The good news is that you can make a difference. Plant the seeds of local plant species in your backyard or in a community garden. This helps protect them from extinction.