一本最近出版的科學書籍做出結論，表示數千種巴西特有的罕見植物面臨滅絕的風險。
這本書叫做「巴西的稀有植物」，是由來自55個研究機構175個以上的科學家所編纂而成。内容提及該國的稀有和特有物種為官方估計的3倍以上。
該研究結果是由費拉迪聖塔娜（Feira de Santana）州立大學與非營利機構國際保育組織（Conservation International）共同主持。書中列出2,291種巴西的稀有植物物種及其分佈圖。
這些罕見植物辨識的兩個標準為 -- 惟獨生長在巴西和總體存活面積等於或小於1萬平方公里的植物。
本書作者之一，任職於費拉迪聖塔娜州立大學的拉毘尼（Alessandro Rapini）表示：「至少可以說，這意味著目前為巴西官方所認定的瀕危植物物種，472種，根本是被嚴重低估的。」
752個擬議中的重要生物多樣性地區（KBAs，為全球最重要的生物多樣性保育場址）就是根據這些罕見植物物種來確認的。
提案中的KBAs覆蓋1.4億公頃 -- 佔全國總面積的16.3%。其中大約一半的KBAs因人類活動破壞出現嚴重退化現象。而只有7.8%的面積有一半以上是在保護區或原生地?。
作者警告，缺乏保護、與日俱增的人類活動、巴西農業企業努力不懈地鬆動環境法等因素，形成了一個爆炸性的組合。其連鎖效應意味著數千種的巴西植物物種有可能迅速地滅絕。
這本書的作者之一，國際保育組織的副主任委員卡多所達斯爾瓦（Jose Maria Cardoso da Silva）表示：「這是巴西首度嘗試努力了解國?的生物多樣性，以及利用植物物種為引子，在該國設立優先保育區。假使無法有效地保護這些物種，巴西將面臨大批物種滅絕的後果。」
他繼續表示：「巴西原始高原和中東部山區的植物生命力欣欣向榮種類豐富，同時這些地方也是巴西最重要的河流及其源頭。因此，保育稀有物種和提供絕大部分巴西人淡水生態系之間的關聯相當緊密。」
比起巴西政府過去為保護生物多樣性和生態系所做的努力，這項研究增闢了至少25%以上的優先保育區。
本書於上週出版，以葡萄牙語撰寫，博得民間社會、政府、學術界和企業部門廣泛的支持。
Thousands of rare plants found only in Brazil are at risk of being lost forever, a new scientific book concludes.
The book, "Rare Plants of Brazil," was compiled by more than 175 scientists from 55 research institutions. It shows that the number of rare and endemic species in the country is more than four times the government's estimate.
The result of a study run by Feira de Santana State University with the nonprofit organization Conservation International, the book identifies and maps 2,291 rare plant species in Brazil.
The rare plants were identified according to two criteria - those occurring only in Brazil and those present in a total occurrence area equal to or smaller than 10,000 square kilometers.
"This means that the current number of plant species officially recognized by the Brazilian government as threatened, 472, was grossly underestimated, to say the least," says Alessandro Rapini from Feira de Santana State University, one of the book's authors.
The rare plant species were used to identify 752 proposed Key Biodiversity Areas, KBAs, the most important sites for global biodiversity conservation.
These proposed KBAs cover 140 million hectares - 16.3 percent of the country's area. Around half of the proposed KBAs have been heavily degraded by human activities. Only 7.8 percent have more than 50 percent of their area in protected areas or indigenous lands.
This lack of protection, the increase of human activities in the country and the substantial effort by Brazilian agribusiness to soften environmental laws creates an explosive combination that could mean the rapid extinction of thousands of Brazilian plant species, the authors warn.
"This is the first effort in Brazil to understand well the plant diversity in the country as well as pinpoint priority areas for conservation using plant species as surrogates," said Jose Maria Cardoso da Silva, Conservation International vice-president and one of the book's authors.
"Without the effective protection of these species, Brazil faces a mass extinction," he said.
"Plant life on the old plateaus and mountains in central-eastern Brazil is richest in the same places where the headwaters of the most important Brazilian rivers are found," said Cardoso. "Therefore, the link between the conservation of rare species and provision of freshwater ecosystem services for most of the Brazilian population is quite strong."
This study added at least 25 percent more priority areas than the previous effort by the Brazilian government to identify the most important areas in the country for the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Published last week, the book, written in Portuguese, has been well received by civil society, government, academia and corporate sectors.
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