New Zealand classifies kauri tree as threatened

Wellington, June 5 (IANS) New Zealand on Tuesday classified the kauri tree, which is affected by a plant disease, as "threatened", along with more than 100 endemic plants in the country.

Kauri trees (Agathis australis), which have a special significance for the indigenous Maori people, are among the tallest trees in the world, and have an average lifespan of 2,000 years, reports Efe news.

"For the first time, kauri has been classed as threatened due to the unabated spread of kauri dieback," the Ministry of Conservation said in a statement.

The kauri has been affected by Phytophthora agathidicida, a fungus discovered in 2009, that infects its roots and causes defoliation leading to its death.

It falls among the 402 plants classified as "threatened" at the national level - 113 more than the previous classification carried out in 2012 - from a total of 2,785 known species or types of native vascular plants.

The statement said that species in the "at risk" category have increased by 101, amounting to a total of 851 plants.

Around 80 per cent of New Zealand's native plants are endemic and are found only within its territory.

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