:: Ancient plants in danger ::
According to the
IUCN's
Cycad Specialist Group 53% of Cycads, a group of plants which has existed for over 300 million years, are in danger of going extinct due the human disturbance + the illegal wild plant trade.
The main threats to wild cycads include
habitat destruction for farming, mining and urban development,
habitat modification, traditional use (medicinal and magical),
invading alien vegetation and the
collection of plants + seeds from the wild for horticultural purposes... their reliance on specialist beetle pollinators also makes them particularly
vulnerable to disturbance.