Photo:One of the World's most endangered plants:
The titan arum or Amorphophallus titanum
Source of image:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Titan-arum1web.jpg
For some reason whenever we hear about something being endangered of becoming extinct on this planet, we only hear about the endangered animals! However, many plants are also endangered due to human behavior and for other reasons. A September 2010 study conducted by the Royal Botanic Gardens found that 22% of the approximately 380,000 known plant species (or about 83,600 plant species) are endangered. That’s approximately 9 times what the IUCN
(The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (aka IUCN) and US Fish & Wildlife Service currently have listed.
Source: Planetsave (http://s.tt/12tnx)
We need to take steps to ensure these plants do not go extinct!
"In each ecosystem, living organisms fall into one of three roles: producers, which make food for themselves; consumers, which eat producers; and decomposers, which reduce matter into soil. As producers, plants play a part in the way the ecosystem functions, creating a world that supports life."
Food
- "Plants provide food for the masses. From elephants to mice, animals eat grass, nuts, berries and twigs to fuel the body and activities. Meat eaters dine on grazers."
Shelter
- "Tall, towering trees provide shade from hot summer sun. Shrubs house smaller animals, protecting and camouflaging them from predators. Groves of trees and bunches of brush provide a measure of warmth and protection from wind."
Oxygen
- "Through photosynthesis, plants produce oxygen. Animal life, including humans, breathes oxygen. A single resting human breathes 6 lb. of oxygen a day."
Filter and Stabilizer
- "Plants filter water, removing toxins and impurities, making safe drinking water and helping to reduce the effect of man on the natural world. Plants also stabilize soil."
Benefits
- "Plants consume carbon dioxide as part of photosynthesis. Humans not only exhale carbon dioxide, many machines also emit the gas. The more plants in existence, the less effect the gas has on global warming."
Read more: How Do Green Plants Play a Part in the Ecosystem? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_5623341_do-plants-play-part-ecosystem_.html#ixzz1Od3g5wX7
What can you do to save plants from becoming endangered or even extinct? Please click on the following links to see what you can do for plants:
How to Save Plants - Approaches to Plant Conservation
Saving plants from the brink of extinction
Thank you on behalf of all the plants in this World!
