The Swiss-based International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said that out of 454 tree species native to Europe, two-fifths (42 percent) could disappear from the continent.
The organisation released Friday the European Red List of Trees, which is the first comprehensive assessment of the extinction threat for all types of trees native to the continent.
Chestnuts and rowanberries top the list of endangered species.
Luc Bas, who heads the organisation’s European office, said that "human-led activities” were to blame for population declines and a heightened risk of extinction of important species across Europe.
The main threat to the European trees include the rapid growth of urban agglomerations, excessive logging and global climate change, the report found.
According to the authors of the study, the existence of many European varieties of shrubs, mosses and lichens is also under serious threat.
Craig Hilton-Taylor, who heads the IUCN Red List Unit, said: "Trees are essential for life on earth, and European trees in all their diversity are a source of food and shelter for countless animal species such as birds and squirrels, and play a key economic role," said in the statement.
Bas added: “We need to mitigate human impact on our ecosystems and prioritise the protection of these species."
(aba)
Source: PAP, euronews