Red List of the endemic and subendemic trees of Central Africa (Democratic Republic of the Congo - Rwanda - Burundi)

This book presents the results of the IUCN Red List evaluation of all 347 tree taxa with a distribution confined to, or almost confined to, Central Africa (Democratic Republic of the Congo – Rwanda – Burundi). As such, it is part of a global endeavour involving over 60 organisations coordinated by Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), and culminating in the Global Tree Assessment.

Endangered animals generally attract lots of attention, but trees are far more vulnerable. There are nearly 60,000 tree species recognised worldwide, and we now know that 30% (17,500 species) are threatened with extinction. This is higher than the number of all threatened mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles combined!

The data on the 347 Central African trees presented here shows that 221 (64%) of them are at risk of extinction. Of these, 34 (10%) are critically endangered, of which 25 may already be extinct. Agriculture, livestock farming, and logging are the main global threats. Climate change impacts are emerging, and in Central Africa, charcoal production and mining also provide major pressures.

Further, this volume provides a useful overview of all Protected Areas (PAs) in the region, with the (sub)endemic tree taxa they contain. Management plans can now be adjusted and improved taking this information into account. Several other recommendations are listed. Focussed action is needed to ensure the survival of threatened tree species, and all organisms (including humans) that
depend on them.