Around half of the world’s plant species rely on animals to spread their seeds. A new international study has shown that, as a consequence of the biodiversity loss of birds and mammals, these plants’ ability to adapt to climate change has fallen by 60%.

With data from Aarhus University, among other places, more than 140 researchers from all over the world have calculated that there must be some 73,300 tree species on Earth, of which around 9,200 are as yet undiscovered. This is 14 per cent higher than previously assumed. The study also suggests that almost one-third of the species are rare.