Climate change is expected to put many conifer species native to small islands around the world on the road to extinction by 2070, recent findings suggest.Even after allowing for some realistic wiggle room in the range of climate conditions those species might be able to withstand, the situation remains the same.The study found that up to a quarter of the 55 conifer species (a group that includes fir and pine trees) included in the study will face extinction based on Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predictions for future global warming. Species most at risk tend to be those native to smaller islands, the study found, with extinction risk increasing rapidly on islands smaller than 20,000 square kilometers."Our work shows that species native to relatively small islands are in a lot of danger from climate change, and relatively soon. But the work also helps us to identify which species are most at risk and which are least at risk, which helps to prioritize conservation,"
