The Most Important Plant Products on Earth By Bakari Hargett-Robinson

Plants Add A Beauty to the environment *Plants have great aesthetic which means they have great beauty. *Plants help add to the beauty of the natural environment around us. *Nobody would want to live without the plants around us in the forests and grasslands. *The plant’s beauty helps us have fun such as in pumpkin growing contest or building tree houses. *Native grasses and wildflowers provide a link to our history. *When we build houses the work is never done with having planting some trees shrubs and flowers to make what we have built much nicer.

Plants Make Food for People Over 3,000 types of plants have been used as food for humans 90 percent of the world’s food comes from only 20 plant species. Grasses, rice, wheat and corn are among the most important plants used for food. All vegetables grown in the ground and fruits grown in trees, such as apples are food we get from plants. Plants are also used in drinks we drink such as orange juice and lemonade. If plants were to disappear a great deal of our food supply would also disappear.

Plants Are Used in Industrial Products Plants are major provider in industrial products. Plants produce fiber which is used in clothing. Plants produce wood is used for making houses and furniture. Some plants such as corn produce ethanol which can make diesel. Plants also help make medicine, such as garlic which is an antibiotic. 25% of all prescriptions have plant chemicals. 80 of medicinal drugs originate from wild plants.

Plants Help Preserve and Make Soil In prairies and forests, trees help hold the soil together. Plants also help protect the soil from erosions caused by heavy rains. Without the plant’s protection the wind or water erodes the soil we need. Plants also help make the soil. When plants die their remains are added to the soil which makes the soil rich with nutrients.

Plants Help the Water Quality Plants are very important to the quality of water we use. Many plants help maintaining healthy watersheds, streams and lakes. Plants help water quality by holding the soil in place. Plants help by controlling the stream flows. Plants also help by filtering sediments from water. If plants were to disappear our water quality would go down dramatically.

Plants help the Air quality The oxygen we breathe comes from plants, which is made by photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is process in which plants synthesize carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water using light as an energy source The quality of the air in affected greatly by plants. Plants stop the movement of dust and pollutants. By intaking carbon dioxide, plants can lessen the greenhouse effect caused by the burning of fossil fuels and coal.

Plants Provide Habitats for Animals Plants are the main habitat for thousands of different organisms. Many different animals live in, on or under plants. Plants provide shelter and safety for the animals. Plants provide food for animals. Because plants are a habitat for the animals, they alter the climate. Plants provide shade, help moderate the temperature and protect the animals. In rainforests, plants change the rainfall patterns over large areas of the earth’s surface.

Plants Are a Part Of Human Activities Plants form the basis for many important human activities. Plants are a part of nature observation, such as in environmental competitions. Plants are a part camping, hiking and hunting because they area a part of the forest environment. Plants area a part of parks, to add to the kids play area. Plants are a part of zoos to add to the animal’s habitat. Plants are always planted in the parking lots of many stores like Target and Wal-Mart. Plants are added to many State, National and Recreational Parks to bring beauty.

Plants Affect the Climate * Regional Climates are impacted by the amount and type of plant cover. Forests and marshes for example, can cool local climates. Plants provide a more shady environment, such as Pine trees can blocking some of the sun’s rays making a cooler environment. Plants can reduce global warming by making cooler environments.

Plants affect the Ecosystem * Plants affect the ecosystem for many different organisms. Plants are a major food source for many animals and people. Plants provide shelter for animals and humans use the wood from trees to build homes and shelters. Plants help our water supply by holding the soil in place, filtering sediments and controlling stream flows. Plant also provide animals and human with many resources which help our ecosystem. Because of these things plants have a strong impact on the ecosystem and both humans and animals couldn’t live without them.