Green Earth: Endangered Trees

Did you know that there is a species of tree so rare that only two are known to exist on earth; there are also strange meat-eating flowers and flowers that simply smell like meat. What they and other unusual plants have in common is both rarity and uniqueness – they are incredible but also endangered. If you enjoyed learning about some of the world’s most beautiful endangered forests and the ultimate list of strange endangered animals, don’t miss the following list of unique endangered plants and trees.

ENDANGERED TREES

BANYAN TREE

We live in a time some experts are calling the “last great land grab“. In order to sustain the rapidly growing population of the world in the coming years, millions of acres of forest will need to be converted to other uses – unless we come up with smarter solutions. With global warming on the rise, forests are more valuable than ever as vital carbon sinks. The twin threats of global warming and deforestation threatens many geographically distinct and ecologically important trees. Here are just a few.

BAOBAB TREE

Native to equatorial Africa and India, and most famous for covering much of Madagascar, the distinctive baobob tree is increasingly threatened. This tree is leafless nine months of the year and stores water in its trunk much like a camel. People make homes in the base, and the tree also produces an edible fruit called the monkey fruit.

MONKEY PUZZLE TREE

This unusual evergreen tree, native to the threatened forests of Chile, is so ancient it is considered a living fossil. It has triangular, spiky, sharp leaves and bears large cones. It is considered the national tree of Chile. Due to its memorable, tail-like appearance, themonkey puzzle tree is popularly cultivated in yards around the world.

DRAGON TREE

The dragon tree pictured above is over 2,000 years old. The dragon tree genus contains 40 different species, many of which are popularly cultivated. Some are quite small, but the most famous are the large dragon tree pictured. They are native to Africa, though a few species are found elsewhere.

BOIS DENTELLE

This beautiful, delicate tree is exceedingly rare: there are only twobois dentelle trees that remain in existence. The pair is located in the cloud forest of Mauritius. Though it has no commercial value, it is near extinction because the cloud forest habitat has been severely damaged by alien invasive species. The bois dentelle produces beautiful sprays of delicate hanging white flowers.

BIZARRE ENDANGERED TREES

With the prevalent deforestation of the planet’s woodlands, many fascinating and rare plant species are being destroyed before scientists have the ability to determine if there is, for example, important medicinal value. According to the Encyclopedia of Earth, over 8,000 plant species worldwide are officially threatened or endangered. Between one-fourth and one-half of all plants are at some risk. The combination of global warming and habitat destruction is formidable. Though there are thousands of interesting, diverse and unusual plants, here are a few particularly odd species that need protection. Especially when you consider that our planet may be the only one where plants are green!

Venus Fly Trap (Dionaea Muscipula)

It seems like everyone did a report on this insect-eating mini monster back in grade school. The carnivorous venus fly trap may be famous, but it’s also threatened. The plant’s two hinged leaves are covered in ultra sensitive fine hairs that detect the presence of everything from ants to arachnids. Trigger the hairs and snap! Lunch for the Venus Fly Trap.

Baseball Plant

This incredibly popular house plant is virtually extinct in the wild due to habitat destruction and the botanical equivalent of poaching. Its sap is poisonous, but it does make an attractive yard ornament. Unfortunately humans have not balanced their desire to grow thebaseball plant in their gardens with the need to preserve natural populations of the plant.

Green Pitcher Plant

Another carnivorous plant, the unique green pitcher plant is endangered. Actually an herb, this insect-eating plant is native to Georgia, South Carolina and other parts of the southern United States, but due to land development its habitat is threatened and the pitcher plant may be lost if protection is not put in place. They are known to grow in stands, almost like little tree groves. There are actually several types of pitcher plants, some brilliantly colored and reminiscent of. But all use the same techniques and tools to lure and trap insects.

Welwitschia Mirabilis

This odd plant stumped taxonomists for years. A desert plant found in South Africa, the thick welwitschia mirabilis generally possesses only two leaves, but these leaves curl and tangle as the plant grows (it often lives over 1,000 years) and becomes a jumbled, tough mass spanning 6 feet or more.

Snowdonia Hawkweed

It’s not the strangest looking plant on earth, but the snowdonia hawkweed does have the honor of being the rarest. It grows only in the Welsh valley of Snowdonia, and in seven small patches, at that. It was thought to be completely extinct by the 1950s until it was again spotted in 2002.

FUNKY ENDANGERED PLANTS

Technically, of course, flowers are not separate from trees or plants but are simply the blooms – the reproductive (seed-containing) fruit’s come-and-pollinate-me display. But some flowers are so noteworthy for their looks and special characteristics that they are included in this post.

Rafflesia

Winning no awards as an anniversary bouquet, this remarkable – or remarkably ugly – flower nevertheless captivates plenty of folks. The rafflesia is a parasitic plant with a flesh-like bloom the size of an armchair and a stench that’s unmissable if you’re even remotely close. The smell is so bad, in fact, that it’s often called the corpse flower or meat flower. (The Titan Arum, another stinky flower, is also called the corpse flower, but these two plants should not be confused.

Titan Arum

The titan arum or amorphophallus titanum (basically, titanic penis) is not the world’s biggest flower, but it does have the world’s biggest inflorescence. Like the rafflesia, it also grows in Sumatra and also is called the corpse flower after its notoriously rotten stench.

Tacca Chantrieri

The black bat flower, or tacca chantrieri, is exceptionally rare and quite beautiful. The flowers can reach over 12″ in diameter and each bloom typically has many “whiskers” that can grow to two feet or more in length.

Green Jade Flower

The rare and beautiful green jade flower is distinct for its blue-green petals and navy-purple center. It looks like a fuschia plant on an acid trip.

Source: http://webecoist.momtastic.com

EXTINCT TREES

Loulu

If you’ve ever been to the Hawaiian Islands, you’ve possibly seen one of these trees during your visit. The 25 different variations of this tree are found on each island, some growing as large as 60 feet tall. Each island has its own species and every species is distinct, not only in size but where they grow and the color palm it provides. The trees only have one trunk and have various branches that grow palms on the end. There are young Loulu trees in many home gardens – you can grow one of these trees in a pot until they start to mature; however, there are only about 300 Loulu trees in the wild.

What’s the cause?

The Loulu tree has been living on the Hawaii Islands for around 40,000 years. The Polynesians who used it for making spears and thatching first brought it there. The trees flourished until the ancient Hawaiians arrived, bringing pigs and other animals with them

that either ate the seeds or ruined the roots of young trees.

Read more: http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-endangered-trees.php#ixzz1rQoudmv8

Thankfully, to slow and hopefully turn around the decline of these trees, the Oahu Army Natural Resource Program has began collecting and growing seeds, allowing them to
mature and then planting them at a time when the tree is sure to survive. Photo: botany.hawaii.edu.

Read more: http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-endangered-trees.php#ixzz1rQpKcbAx

Hinton’s Oak (Encino of Hinton)

You’ll find this tree in Mexico, mainly the southeast corner where there are three known species that thrive in the dry desert areas. The neat thing about the Hinton’s Oak tree is that the spring foliage is a bright red color that eventually turns to a dark green before they fall off. The bark of the tree is extremely dark, which sets a contrast to the red leaves. The trees can grow as large as 49 feet and are extremely important to many in Mexico, as the wood of the tree is made to use handles for many utensils, such as knives.

What’s the cause?

Due to the growing need of agricultural locations in Mexico, the Hinton’s Oak is declining in numbers. Road construction, more planting fields, and coffee plantations have all taken over the land that was once inhabited by the Hinton’s Oak. These trees are also sometimes cut down for firewood. It is said that the smoke the tree gives off has a very distinctive smell and taste and because of this people will use the wood to bake bread called “las finas” (“the fine ones”). The tree has also decreased in population due to grazing by livestock, which is known to prevent trees or any kind of tree from regenerating year to year because the animals eat the seedlings that would produce a new tree.

Researches from the University of Puebla and Sir Harold Hillier Gardens and Arboretum in the United Kingdom are working together to create a conservation plan for the trees

St. Helena Gumwood

The St. Helena gumwood is definitely unique. In fact, it’s so unique that St. Helena Island chose it to be their national tree. The tree grows with a crooked trunk, but despite this it is able to support an umbrella-like canopy with an endless amount of branches. During the winter and into the end of the spring months, each branch produces white dangling flowers. Accompanied by the flowers are leaves that can be up to 5 inches long. Not only are these leaves somewhat large, but they are also hairy and can be a green color while others have more of a grey tone to them. In St. Helena, the population of this tree was once so large that is covered tropical forests all over.

What’s the cause?

When it comes to the St. Helena gumwood tree, the main problem is humans. Many people who have access to these trees often cut them down and use them for building as well as for firewood. This has probably happened since the beginning of 1659 when the island was first settled. Also, some type of animal often accompanies settlers. It’s said that the St. Helena settlers brought goats along with them that often ate the seedlings that freely fall from the existing trees each year. In 1991, the population of the tree was hurt immensely when the jacaranda bug attacked them and took the sap from the trees and promoted black mold growth. Not only have these events caused a drastic decline in population, it’s also leaving many rare and unusual species of animals without a home.

Because of this decrease, the Millennium Gumwood Forest Project has decided to help regenerate the gumwood tree. Ten years ago, 4,300 trees were planted at a location that was once a wasteland. Photo: St. Helena National Trust.

African Blackwood (Mpingo)

In Swahili, the population of the African Blackwood continues to diminish. The name comes from the color of its heartwood which is a color closely resembling black. The tree is said to grow in areas where most other trees or plants couldn’t, as it prefers infertile and rocky soil. The Mpingo is also very slow growing, taking between 70-200 years to grow to a mature size and many only grow to be able 9 feet. tall. It is the national tree of Tanzania even though the tree can be found in about 26 different African countries, including Ethiopia, Angola, Senegal, and many others. This tree is great for those who do agricultural work as it is known to improve the fertility of the soil as well as the soil’s stability. The Blackwood is a great source of food for various herbivores as well as livestock as these animals will eat its leaves. Despite being a very hardy tree (most of the mature trees are even able to survive a fire), the population of the African Blackwood has been on the decline.

What’s the cause?

The extremely dark heartwood of the Blackwood is definitely one of the most widely sought after timbers in the entire world. Some of the highest class instruments, mostly woodwinds, are made of this wood. It is also used to make furniture as well as for carving purposes. Carving this wood has been done since the 1930s, but today it’s extremely hard for the carvers to find enough wood to use, which means many times that the timber is imported. The trees are often harvested for this timber and other seedlings are rarely planted in their place. Even though mature Blackwoods can survive a fire, the seedlings cannot, which greatly slows down regeneration.

The African Blackwood Conservation project is working each day to help regenerate these trees because they are declining in population so rapidly. The group plants new trees each year in hopes that the tree population will be replenished. Seedlings are grown at the Moshi Mpingo Plot and the transported to a place where the tree can mature. Photo: African Blackwood Conservation Project.