More than one-third of the world’s tree species, from tropical magnolias to mountainous pines, are at risk of extinction. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature issued this stark update to its Red List of threatened species in October. Trees now account for more than a quarter of all species on the Red List and are at risk of extinction in nearly every country.
Fungi — or a lack thereof — could partly explain why trees are failing to adapt to climate change. A majority of tree species depend on underground symbiotic fungi, called ectomycorrhizal fungi, for the nutrients and water they need to survive (SN: 7/13/09). Like
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