More than half of Europe’s native trees threatened with extinction, study finds

The report, the European Red List of Trees, evaluated the conservation status of all 454 tree species native to the continent. Among Europe’s endemic trees – those that don’t exist anywhere else on earth – 58% were found to be threatened, and 15% (66 species) assessed as critically endangered, or one step away from going extinct.

The report found that invasive and problematic native species were the largest threat to European trees, including grey squirrels which girdle tree trunks killing off the tree – unsustainable logging and urban development were the other key threats to Europe’s trees.