Experts alert that nearly half the Cuban flora is endangered

HAVANA, Cuba, Oct 28 (acn) Nearly half the Cuban flora species are endangered, with the largest numbers of them located in western Pinar del Rio province and Eastern Cuba according to a recent scientific report.

The research study, published under the title the Red List of Cuban Flora, was undertaken by experts in Cuban flora with the International Union for Nature Preservation and the National Botanical Garden of the University of Havana.
The Red List includes about 15 percent of all plant species evaluated in the world and over 66 percent of the estimated total flora of Cuba.
The president of the Cuban Botanical Society Alejandro Palmarola, was cited by CubaSi website as saying that the study considered the current health and preservation conditions of 4 thousand 627 Cuban plant species and helps to establish priorities for their sustainable management and preservation.
According to the study, 25 plant Cuban species have been declared as extinct while major dangers come with deforestation, invading exotic species, ranching, agriculture and other factors.
The publication of the Red List constitutes the end of a 10-year intensive work and is a significant step to keep with the monitoring of endangered plant species, the education on the environment and natural history studies.