Agarwood (Aquilaria malaccensis)
Status: Vulnerable

When infected with fungi, a vulnerable tropical evergreen forest tree Aquilaria crassna (Thymelaeaceae) becomes highly sought after for its valuable aromatic wood. Called Agarwood, this is often poached to be distilled and exported to East Asian and Middle Eastern markets as aromatic, medicinal and religious oil products. Preserving this unique tree helps maintain the biodiversity and resilience of forests.

In Agarwood poaching, wood is often chopped from living trees and illegally removed from protected areas. The ability of surviving trees to grow and reproduce is dramatically reduced.

A scientific study of Aquilaria crassna tree populations carried out in Thailand’s Khao Yai National Park and published in 2008, concluded that the increase in tree mortality and decrease in sapling growth rate caused by agarwood poaching could completely wipe out the species in some areas within the next 50 years.

Aquilaria crassna is protected under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.