Their are around 250,000 known species of higher plants. 25,000 of these species are currently threatened with extinction.
Tropical rainforests contain many diverse species, many of which are found nowhere else.
In the Amazon Rainforest, for example, there are around 100 species of trees in a 2 hectare plot as well as innumerable numbers of smaller plants. A single canopy tree grows to 25-30m in height and can support as many as 80 species of creepers and parasitic plants. The continued destruction of tropical rainforests therefore, is particularly worrying. Unfortunately, most are located in less developed countries where there are problems associated with encouraging continuous study and protection of rainforest plants. The Scramble for Light Plants, as well as animals, compete for their share of light.