Belinda Hawkins and Georgina Magin

Maple Trees Globally at Risk of Extinction in the Wild

Cropped image of an Acer pycnanthum mapleThe maple tree, admired for its glorious foliage and sweet sap, and seemingly ubiquitous in some parts of the world, is under threat of extinction. A recent study led by the UK-based conservation organization Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) has shown that nearly a third of all maple species are under threat of extinction in their native habitats. Of the 119 maple species assessed, 54 are considered at risk today, and a further 29 species are likely to become threatened in the near future.

Belinda Hawkins and Georgina Magin, posted on November 26th, 2009
Articles, Biodiversity

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Panorama of the East Coast

Panorama of the East Coast

This Jan. 29 panorama of much of the East Coast, photographed by one of the Expedition 30 crew members aboard the International Space Station, provides a look generally northeastward: Philadelphia-New York City-Boston corridor (bottom-center); western Lake Ontario shoreline with Toronto (left edge); Montreal (near center). An optical illusion in the photo makes the atmospheric limb and light activity from Aurora Borealis appear "intertwined." Image Credit: NASA