Frankincense - a traditional staple of the Christmas story - faces an uncertain future, according to researchers.
Ecologists have warned that the production of the fragrant resin could decline by half over the next 15 years.
The festive fragrance is produced by tapping the gum of trees in the Boswellia genus.
The findings, based on a study carried out in Ethiopia, have been published in the Journal of Applied Ecology.
It is used extensively in religious rituals and in the perfume industry. It has also been investigated for its medicinal properties.
"There are several reasons why [the tree species Boswellia papyifera] it is under threat," explained co-author Frans Bongers, an ecologist at Wageningen University in the Netherlands.
"The forests that remain are declining because the old individuals are dying continuously, and there there no new individuals coming into the system. That means that the forests are running out of trees."
"In places like Oman and Yemen, it is being cut down systematically. Now, in Ethiopia, it is being cut down as land is being turned over to agriculture."
The small trees, which generally reach a height of no more than 5m (16ft), grow in steep, rocky habitats, providing cover for other plant species.
By Mark Kinver and Victoria Gill
Science reporters, BBC News and Nature
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