Counting the world’s trees – new video uploaded to AP Video Hub

In the video, Liang explains how a worldwide collaboration of scientists has produced the first ground-sourced data estimate of the total number of tree species on Earth. All videos in the Campus Insights series are free for download and use by all AP members and can be found at apvideohub.ap.org or by doing a general search on the Associated Press site. AP members may use the video or to pull quotes for print article or for broadcast or podcast.

Article featuring Liang: https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2022/Q1/first-of-its-kind-estimate-of-the-total-number-of-tree-species.html

STORYLINE

Liang says that he and his team have collected data from all over the world to figure out how many tree species exist. Around 73,000 tree species are estimated to exist, with about 9,000 of them yet to be identified. Tropical areas have more tree species than any other location, with South America containing 43% of all tree species in the world. One-third of all tree species are considered rare, with most of those consisting of only one or two individuals. Liang says it is important to locate the habitat of these species so that they can be better protected from extinction. Because the overall dataset was so large, the team used Purdue’s high-performance computing facilities to assess the data.