Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 3 hrs ago
Brazil updates threatened plant list to include 3,730 species
Brazil’s Environment Ministry updated the national list to include 3,730 threatened plant species.
The assessment was carried out by Rio de Janeiro’s Botanical Garden Research Institute, based on species’ conservation status.
The new list has 521 more species than the 2022 version, with 595 added and 74 removed.
It classifies 838 species as Vulnerable, 2,162 as Endangered and 730 as Critically Endangered, including two considered possibly extinct.
Pau-brasil was moved from Endangered to Critically Endangered, indicating a higher risk of extinction in the wild.
The Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado have the largest shares of threatened species among those assessed, at 38% and 35%; the Amazon’s share is 18%.
The list guides conservation policy, protected-area management, environmental licensing and recovery efforts for species and their habitats.
Brazil’s environment ministry updated the national list of threatened plant species to include 3,730 species.
The list was updated by an ordinance dated October 26, 2026, and published in the Official Gazette on October 28.
The species were assessed by the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden Research Institute according to their conservation status.
The list includes 838 vulnerable species, 2,162 endangered species and 730 critically endangered species.
The Atlantic Forest and Cerrado have the highest proportions of threatened species among the biomes assessed, at 38% and 35%.
- Who
- Brazil’s Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change updated the list. The Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden Research Institute assessed the species.
- What
- The national list of threatened plants now includes 3,730 species.
- When
- The ordinance is dated October 26, 2026, and was published on October 28.
- Where
- Brazil.
- Why
- The list helps guide biodiversity conservation, public policies, protected areas, environmental licensing and species recovery.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The previous list was published.
The ministry issued the ordinance updating the list.
The update was published in Brazil’s Official Gazette.
- Total species
- 3,730
- Vulnerable
- 838 species
- Endangered
- 2,162 species
- Critically endangered
- 730 species, including two considered possibly extinct
- Change from 2022 list
- 521 more species; 595 added and 74 removed
- Threatened proportions
- Atlantic Forest: 38%; Cerrado: 35%; Amazon: 18%