ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Environment

Fourteen thousand plant species have been discovered in the Amazon rainforest

This is the first time that anyone has compiled a full list.

Elena MotivansbyElena Motivans
September 20, 2017 - Updated on January 31, 2023
in Biology, Environment, News
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

RelatedPosts

How many calories does a human body have? Stone Age cannibals must not have been very satisfied
The False Killer Whale: it’s not even a whale, but very real, and very interesting
Scientists may have witnessed how memories form in real time — a first
This “electronic amoeba” is capable of solving a complex problem

Rainforests are the most diverse places on earth and contain thousands of different species. However, we still know so little about them and the treasures that they contain. No one has been able to say how many plant species that there in the Amazon rainforest, until now. An international team of researchers from Brazil, the U.K., Columbia, and Spain have painstakingly compiled a list of 14,003 plant species that are growing in the Amazon rainforest.

Don’t be mistaken, this number is not the total number of plant species in the Amazon, only the number that have been formally identified. There are still troves of species in the Amazon waiting to be discovered. Identifying all the ones that we know is a start. And certainly, this was no easy task, as this information can be scattered across many different sources, and in different languages.

There are a lot of plants in here! Image credits: Shao.

The researchers did not go to the forests themselves but checked through countless research papers, databases, and other scientific sources. They only included species that could be verified from multiple sources. As you can imagine, hundreds of people were involved in this endeavor, not just those listed as authors of the publication. Now there is a list and count of every plant species that grow in the lowland Amazon biome. Overall, 6,727 of the plants are trees and all the rest are vines, herbs, liana, shrubs, and small trees. This list is now a starting point from which to create conservation plans and to build upon to discover new species.

As for the undiscovered plants, people have made estimates about the total number of plant species in the Amazon and the number has ranged from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. This work suggests that the total number of plant species in the Amazon is more along the scale of tens of thousands of species. It is critical to know about the plants (and animals) that live in the rainforest, as the forests are being endangered by logging. This list is a good start.

Journal reference: Domingos Cardoso et al. Amazon plant diversity revealed by a taxonomically verified species list. PNAS 2017, doi:10.1073/pnas.1706756114

ShareTweetShare
Elena Motivans

Elena Motivans

I've always liked the way that words can sound together. Combined with my love for nature (and biology background), I'm interested in diving deep into different topics- in the natural world even the most mundane is fascinating!

Related Posts

Science

Buried in a Pot, Preserved by Time: Ancient Egyptian Skeleton Yields First Full Genome

byMihai Andrei
3 hours ago
Archaeology

AI Helped Decode a 3,000-Year-Old Babylonian Hymn That Describes a City More Welcoming Than You’d Expect

byTibi Puiu
4 hours ago
Chemistry

Peeling Tape Creates Microlightning Strong Enough To Power Chemistry

byTibi Puiu
4 hours ago
News

Menstrual Cups Passed a Brutal Space Test. They Could Finally Fix a Major Problem for Many Astronauts

byTibi Puiu
5 hours ago

Recent news

Buried in a Pot, Preserved by Time: Ancient Egyptian Skeleton Yields First Full Genome

July 3, 2025

AI Helped Decode a 3,000-Year-Old Babylonian Hymn That Describes a City More Welcoming Than You’d Expect

July 3, 2025

Peeling Tape Creates Microlightning Strong Enough To Power Chemistry

July 3, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.