Plants form a very vital aspect of the earth More significantly, plants constitute an indispensable class of living organisms on the planet. They offer oxygen, food, medicine and countless more services, which help sustain nature as well as human beings.
Starting from the trees in the Amazon rainforest to the mosses that are found in rocks, plant species have huge variations that many people find interesting. Under this blog, the main topics are, why plants are needed, how plants are classified, how plants are being utilized, and how to take care of plants.
The Importance of Plants
- Oxygen Production: The process of photosynthesis is carried out by plants and these are important because they produce oxygen from carbon dioxide and water. This process includes the fixing of carbon dioxide and water to form glucose and liberation of oxygen through use of sunlight. The oxygen released is critical in sustaining the majority of the living organisms on the face of this planet.
- Climate Regulation: He said that while forests and other plant-covered land such as savanas take in carbon dioxide from the environment therefore limiting the impacts of climate change. They are also useful in moderating the climate of the earth by being involved in the water cycle process.
- Habitat and Food Source: To ensure that the young generation see plants in the right perspective, they must first understand the role of plants in the food chain. They act as homes for many organisms ranging from insects, birds, mammals, and even humans, as well as sources of their meals.
- Economic Value: Plants are a host of several products like timber, paper, fibers, and resins. Agriculture industry can be characterized as an industry that makes extensive use of plants, especially crops, which are the food that humans and animals eat.
Have a look at swiss cheese plant.
The Diversity of Plants
The plants are divided into many categories according to their classes and other related features and origin. Here are some of the main categories: Here are some of the main categories:
- Angiosperms: The largest group of plants is the one which encompasses the angiosperms which are also referred to as flowering plants. They make flowers and seeds enclosed in a fruit. Such flowers are roses, sunflowers, and tree borne fruits such as apples.
- Gymnosperms: Gymnosperms are seed-producing plants and these are non-flowering plants Gymnosperms do not produce flowers. Their seeds are liberated on cones or on other organs. The major species that fall under this category include pines, spruces, and firs.
- Ferns and Mosses: It is so because they do not bear flowers and the process of asexual reproduction takes place through spores which are the ferns and mosses. Ferns are large plants which have shuttle-cock-like leaves called fronds while mosses are small plants that grow in clusters, often green on rocks and soil.
- Succulents and Cacti: These plants are drought resistant and contain water storage tissues in their leaves, stems or roots. Succulents are sub-taxed by aloe and echeveria while cacti are of a different family characterized by spines and structures.
You should also know – Snake plant
Uses of Plants
- Food and Nutrition: People and other animals fecal on plants as their main food source. Meals that contain a lot of fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, and seeds contain vitamins, minerals, and fibers. Rice, wheat, corn, and other households are the basic food necessities that cannot be done without.
- Medicinal Uses: It is also worth to note that a large number of plants contain medicine values and have been used for medicine for centuries. Modern pharmaceuticals also get a lot of compounds from this source. For example, aspirin is extracted from willow tree bark and the drug used in treatment of malaria, which is quinine, is obtained from the bark of cinchona trees.
- Aesthetic and Recreational: Plants make the environment beautiful in one way or another. Lawn, garden, park or what you may call it an open piece of land with trees, plants and flowers also has its own pleasure and recreational values. Indoor plants such as the houseplants and the ornamental plants play a vital role in the enhancement of the health of the people through purging of the indoor air and equally playing a good role in the enhancement of the beauty of the homes and offices.
- Ecological Benefits: It is noteworthy that plants protect the soil from erosion, enrich it and even contribute to water purification. They play an important role of contributing to the support of the local wildlife through habitat and food provision.
Here is jade plant.
Tips for Plant Care
- Understanding Plant Needs: Plants too have different needs in so far as light, water, the type of soil and nutrients are concerned. Find out the requirements of each plant species you would like to cultivate so that to meet them adequately.
- Proper Watering: Some of these mistakes are over watering and the opposite, that is, under watering. Hence, most plants like to be dried before the next watering session is carried out. Add water drainage to suppress root rot to help the plant to grow.
- Soil and Fertilization: It is important to note that particular plants should be grown in the right kind of soils. Some plants will need the soil to drain very well and in this case the soil will have to be sandy in nature while other plants will need soil that is fertile and well structured hence being loamy. Specifically, fertilization can provide nutrients for plants, nevertheless, excess fertilization can damage the plants.
- Pruning and Maintenance: Pruning is necessary because it assists in the regulation of the shape of the plant as well as its growth. This will help get rid of branches that are already dead or affected by diseases which will only contribute to the spreading of contagions.
- Pest Control: Check for pests and disease and infested crop plants. Non chemical methods for instance by the use of neem oil or insecticidal soap can be used in eliminating the pests while having a natural pass on the plant or the surrounding environment.
Plants are vital for the production of food needs of the population, for the purification of the atmosphere and production of oxygen through the process of photosynthesis, and many more uses that contribute to the development of plant research in the future.
New discoveries in plants cannot only fulfill humanity’s basic needs, which are food and shelter, but also help in combating problems like malicious weather changes, extinction of species, and global hunger.
Genetic engineering and biotechnology for agriculture produce the ability to create crops that are resistant to pests, diseases, and other incidences of unfavourable weather conditions.
Crop management and wildlife protection are also critical activities needed to reduce dependence on plant resources’ variety and maintain ecosystem vitality.
You can also look at money plant.
Conclusion
Plants are invisible but an extremely vital asset to life on earth. Taking their contribution towards environment structure, enhancement of human health and in support of the economy into consideration, their significance cannot be overemphasized.
As a result of having known the value of plants in our society, embracing the different types of plants, and nurturing them appropriately, it will be easy to continue developing and supporting the life of plants in our globe .
From a professional garden or a backyard novice, gardening is an incredible wealth of options and fun from which the gardener can choose the best. The green should be a symbol of a vibrant life and plants should enhance the quality of life in people’s lives and the environment at large.
