What is an Endangered Plant?

What is an Endangered Plant?

What is an endangered plant?

Endangered plants are defined to be vulnerable to become extinct in the near future. In Japan, the endangered plants at national level are designated by the Ministry of Environment, and those at regional level are designated by each regional government.

Endangered plants are classified into seven categories according to how they are threatened to extinct in Japan. Criteria.

Endangered Species Categories and Definitions

Red Data Books

Current Situation in Japan

Endangered Plant Species in Japan

Approximately 7,000 plant species grow naturally on the Japanese archipelago, of which about 2,900 species (roughly 40%) are endemic to Japan. Japan has a very high species density and a large proportion of endemic plants by global standards, making its plant life an important biological resource.

Unfortunately, out of these 7,000 species, 1,690 are classified as endangered plants (narrower category), meaning that one in every four valuable native Japanese plant species is at risk of extinction.

Why are they endangered?

Among the factors driving plant extinction in Japan, human activity accounts for about 80%. In particular, deforestation and the collection of plants for horticultural cultivation or trade are major contributing factors. In addition, many natural changes caused by global warming are indirectly linked to human activities. Next, we will explain the main causes.

Destruction of Natural Habitats

In Southeast Asia, large-scale deforestation is still taking place. The massive amounts of carbon dioxide released by human activities contribute to global warming. This destruction of natural environments has led to the loss of habitats for valuable plant species. Current environmental conservation efforts, often featured on television, are aimed primarily at protecting biodiversity.

Example: The original tropical rainforest has been converted into pastureland.(Veracruz, Mexico)

Rare Plants

Some plants grow naturally in only a single location on Earth and have very small populations. These plants are often adapted to highly specific environments, and even minor environmental changes can lead to their extinction. In such cases, it is necessary to conserve not only the plants themselves but also their surrounding environment.

Overharvesting

Among the factors contributing to the increase in endangered plants, habitat destruction is closely linked to human activities and is a very complex issue. However, illegal overharvesting for purposes such as horticultural trade is nothing more than the selfishness of a very small number of people. Because of this overharvesting, many plants are driven to the brink of extinction.

Plant Damage by Animals

In recent years, damage caused by animals feeding on plants has pushed many species toward extinction and has become a serious problem. In Kyushu, the increase in deer has caused severe damage, leading to a drastic reduction of understory plants. The increase in deer populations is believed to result from disruptions in the ecosystem.

On islands such as Uotsurijima in the Senkaku Islands, goats introduced as livestock and now living in the wild have caused significant damage to many plants. However, we must not forget that humans are responsible for introducing these livestock.