‘Plant blindness’ was a term coined in 1999 by J. H. Wandersee and E. E. Schussler to describe a widespread phenomenon—people’s inability to notice plants in their environment. While it sounds benign enough, plant blindness has serious ramifications. Plant biology courses across the world are shutting down, research support for plant ecology is dwindling, and there is considerably less funding for plant conservation as compared to initiatives focused on animals.
It is hardly surprising then that the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species only includes five percent of the plant species listed in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. What this means is that despite the fundamental role that plants play in the ecosystem, the conservation status of most plant species is currently unknown.
As an ecologist involved in bird-related research and conservation for most of my career, I must also admit to being oblivious to trees. I have spent countless hours squinting at forest birds through binoculars, but the vegetation always faded into the background. I’m pretty sure this is true of most animal ecologists. It wasn’t until I got roped into a
long-term tree phenology project—which involved studying the timing of life cycle events, such as leaf flushing, flowering, fruiting, etc.—that I started to notice, appreciate, and identify different tree species. Suddenly, I was seeing the whole landscape through new eyes.
Without further ado, I’m thrilled to present our first ever issue focussed entirely on trees: endemic, endangered, often rare but sometimes locally abundant. To those who haven’t yet had a chance to pay attention to plants, I hope this is the invitation you need.