Maple Conservation
The Red List of Acer: revised and extended, published in September 2020 by Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), gives the conservation status of all maple (Acer) species. This was completed as part of the Global Tree Assessment.
High risk
There are 158 tree species of Acer. 'The Red List of Acer' report revealed that one in five Maple species is at high risk of extinction in the near future and in need of conservation action. 75% of these threatened species are geographically restricted in their native ranges.
Acer tonkinense
Found in southwestern China and northern Indochina.
Encouragingly, the majority of Maple species (over 70%) are not threatened with extinction in the wild.
Acer metcalfii
A Chinese Maple found in northern Guangdong, north eastern Guangxi, south eastern Guizhou, and southern Hunan.
Globally, the report highlights that over a third of Maple species are subject to loss of habitat as a result of urban development and increased agriculture. Timber harvesting is also a major threat and affects a quarter of threatened Maple species.
Acer morifolium
A "snakebark" Maple native to Japan.
BGCI is working to protect threatened tree species in the wild, through our Tree Conservation Programme. Acer skutchii is a threatened species under pressure from the expansion of coffee plantations at sites within Guatemala and corn farms within Mexico.
Cloud Forest Sugar Maple (Acer skutchii)
A Maple species native to Mexico and Guatemala.
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) by The Morton ArboretumBotanic Gardens Conservation International
Sugar maple (Acer saccharum)
Acer trees are also culturally and economically important. Maple syrup is produced by tapping the trees, collecting the sap and then removing water to concentrate the liquid.
The most commercially important species are:
The Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum), the Black Maple (Acer nigrum) and the Red Maple (Acer rubrum).
BGCI is establishing a Global Conservation Consortium for Acer, to address the conservation needs of Maple species. Utilising expertise within the botanic garden community, Maple specialists will work together to develop the strategies required to effectively manage and deliver conservation actions for Maple species.
Collecting Acer pentaphyllum near the Yalong river, Yajiang, Sichuan, China, at 2500m (2021-05-26) by Christophe CrockBotanic Gardens Conservation International
Collecting Acer pentaphyllum
Near the Yalong river, Yajiang, China.
The lead institution for the Consortium of Acer is the University of British Columbia, where Douglas Justice is a specialist who helped with the Acer Red List assessments.
Douglas Justice 2 by Dan CrowleyBotanic Gardens Conservation International
Douglas Justice on Maple biodiversity
Through this work BGCI hopes to ensure no Acer tree will go extinct.
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