From Madagascar to Bolivia: scientists list 33 "dark spots" around the world with thousands of unknown plants on the brink of extinction

According to new research, botanists have discovered 33 "dark spots" from Madagascar to Bolivia, where thousands of plant species are waiting to be discovered. However, according to experts, they are on the brink of extinction.

Every year, researchers discover dozens of new species, from palm trees to orchids. But given that more than 100,000 plant species are considered unknown, most of them are endangered, The Guardian writes.

A new project led by Kew's Royal Botanic Gardens highlights parts of the world where botanists should focus their searches and identify new plant species. The study builds on last year's analysis by Kew experts, which found that three-quarters of all undescribed plant species are likely to be endangered.

Prof. Alexandre Antonelli, research director at Kew and senior author of the paper, said the study was aimed at accelerating the pace of plant discovery. After all, many species will become extinct before they are known to science.

"Previous research has shown that biologists haven’t been particularly efficient in documenting biodiversity. We’ve gone back to the same places over and over again and we’ve neglected some areas that may contain lots of species," Antonelli said.

Most of the unexplored regions are in Asia, including Sumatra, the eastern Himalayas, Assam in India, and Vietnam. In Africa, Madagascar and the Cape provinces of South Africa have been identified, and in South America, areas of Colombia, Peru, and southeastern Brazil have been singled out. According to biologists, these areas have been identified as biodiversity hotspots that are threatened with extinction.

Many of the countries where these dark spots occur have limited capacity for official species identification. However, the researchers expressed hope that the analysis will inspire future cooperation between research institutions and local people around the world.

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