The gergeranian pear (Pyrus gergerana) is a Critically Endangered species of pear found in the Caucasus mountains. The species is found in just a few locations in Armenia but it’s actual distribution and ecology is largely unknown. What we do know is that Pyrus gergerana blooms from April until June in the Armenian springtime, and produces fruits around September. The species bears large fruits that are up to 3.5 cm in diameter which disti…
The ArbNet website has recently been updated, making it easier to use and expanding the resources available to support the common purposes and interests of tree-focused public gardens. The ArbNet website has been organised into new sections, allowing for quicker navigation to find the information you are looking for. ArbNet can now be used in many languages with a translation tool built into the website, facilitating its use worldwide. It is now…
The faveiro-de-wilson is an extremely rare Brazilian tree found only in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais. It grows between cerrado savannas and the Atlantic forest, adapting to these varied conditions with the help of associated nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the soil. Adults can reach 17m in height, and have large compound leaves, big pods of reddish-brown beans, and dense clusters of small, yellow flowers with a faintly fishy smell. Faveiro…
The year 2017 marked another year huge leap forward for Global Trees Campaign (GTC) and our partners. As we make plans for another exciting year ahead, we reflect upon our achievements in 2017. Here we share a taste of some of our proudest moments; from high-level policy impacts, to grassroots people power, making a real difference to tree populations. A World first For the first time in 2017 we answered the question ‘how many tree species are t…
GTC doesn’t just do practical tree conservation; before we can start protecting, or encouraging our partners to do so, we need to find out which trees need our help. To that end, the whitebeam (Sorbus) experts of Europe recently convened in Zagreb, Croatia to review draft red list assessments produced by the GTC. Over 190 assessments were agreed upon over the four-day workshop. Sorbus experts discuss some herbarium specimens in a variety of lang…
The Global Trees Campaign aims to avoid all tree extinctions in the wild. An important component of conservation action must be ex situ conservation: securing a species outside of its natural range, as a back-up measure in case remaining wild populations are lost. Our new report, released today, highlights that 74% of the most threatened trees are absent from ex situ collections, lacking this vital conservation action that could save them from e…
Globally, oaks (from the genus Quercus) are of immense economic and ecological value. Oak timber and bark are used in a number of products (from whisky barrels to wine corks) and various species perform critical ecosystem functions; providing food and habitat for countless species of animals. However, many oak species are threatened with extinction and oak-dominated ecosystems are declining worldwide. Furthermore, oak acorns cannot be seed banke…
The year 2015 marked a great year for the Global Trees Campaign (GTC). As we make plans for another exciting year ahead, we thought it would be fitting to reflect upon what we and our partners achieved in 2015 and share our proudest moments with our followers and supporters. Prioritising species of greatest conservation concern Of the c.25,000 tree species that have conservation assessments, at least 9,641 species are threatened with extinction….
The Pepper-Bark Tree is an evergreen which grows between 5 and 10m tall. It is found in forests in Southern Africa. The inner bark has a pungent peppery smell giving the tree its English name. Crushed leaves of this tree also have a distinctive bitter taste allowing for easy identification. It is widely planted as an ornamental tree. The name ‘salutaris’ means health giving, referencing its medicinal properties. The bark is used to t…
Quercus brandegeei is a species of oak endemic to Mexico, found only in a very small range on the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. It grows in ephemeral stream beds that fill up after hurricanes and has very distinct, elongate acorns, which are harvested on a small scale to supplement local diets. B ased on life cycle estimates for its close relatives, Quercus oleoides and Quercus virginiana , researchers estimate that Quercu…
There is currently no comprehensive resource to identify exceptional plant species, but this information is needed to help prioritize and focus ex situ conservation planning and activities. This project, led by BGCI US, is using information about seed storage behavior and data from the BGCI PlantSearch database to identify exceptional threatened taxa in the United States. BGCI U.S., working with partner botanic gardens and organizations across…
As the Global Trees Campaign celebrates the launch of its new website, the partnership team share a few stories describing some of their successes and challenges. Fifteen years ago the world’s tree species received their first, long overdue, health check-up by the conservation community. Trees proved to be awkward patients: close to 100,000 species were on the waiting list, most without reliable data on their condition in the wild. Undeterred, a…