Experts stunned after finding rare species in unexpected location: 'Found for the first time'

Highlighting how much remains to be learned about the natural world, researchers in India have identified three new plant species, the Hindu reported.

Adding to the revelations, the experts also found a fourth plant species in a region where it had never before been observed. 

"Apart from the three newly identified species, we have found for the first time another species … in the Shivamogga district of Karnataka," said Siddappa B. Kakkalemeli, an assistant professor at Davangere University, per the Hindu. "This species, which was hitherto identified in the South Goa region, has now been reported as an addition to the state flora." 

Experts have estimated that as many as 30 million plant species exist on Earth. However, scientists have only identified about 2,050,000 of them, according to the Hindu. That accounts for just 7% of the estimated total. 

Meanwhile, researchers have found that more plant extinctions have been taking place than previously believed. For example, one study identified 65 plant species that have gone extinct in the U.S. and Canada since European settlement began. 

This suggests that many plant species could have gone extinct before humans ever even knew they existed. 

Experts say that plant biodiversity is essential to ecosystem health, providing many important benefits to humans, according to the Norfolk Master Gardeners.

"Diverse plant species contribute to essential ecological processes, such as soil formation, nutrient cycling, and water purification," the group said on its website. 

Additionally, research has shown that plant biodiversity is key to sustainable agricultural practices. 

"Modern agriculture is characterized by monocultures, which rely on external inputs and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss," wrote the authors of a 2022 study. 

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Meanwhile, having a wider variety of plant species helped to maintain the soil, largely by contributing to the health of underground microbes on which plants rely, the authors found.

While not everyone can go out and discover a new species, we all can support plant biodiversity starting right in our own backyards. 

By planting a native garden or rewilding your yard, you can help to promote biodiversity while strengthening the local ecosystem. This can help not only plants, but also pollinators, birds, and even small mammals.

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