Jerusalem24– The Biodiversity and Environmental Research Center (BERC) has published the very first annotated checklist for plants native to the State of Palestine.
The analysis included identifying the floristic composition and species diversity of vascular plants native to the State of Palestine, serving as a taxonomic and nomenclatural basis for botanical research and encouraging new floristic surveys and biosystematics studies.
The study identifies 102 endangered species out of a total of 1,826, of which 76.5% were “critically endangered” while 23.5% were classified as vulnerable. The study documented and classified the direct threats to these species, and identified agriculture and human interference as the two main factors threatening the species.
BERC hope the suggested list of Palestinian flora will help focus conservation efforts and provide a framework for research and policy applications for protection of Palestinian flora.
The project was supported by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) and BirdLife International Middle East.
