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    Plant Preservation

    Plant preservation refers to the importance of conserving the diversity of plants which exist in the biosphere, which are one of our natural resources. The twentieth and twenty-first centuries have experienced a rapid expansion in growth, both in terms of economics and population size, which is having negative consequences for the planet’s environments.

    Plants are the foundation of every environment. When you consider the food web for a population or ecosystem, plants represent the basal level of primary producers. The loss of plants will have large consequences for ecosystems, ultimately destroying the balance required for proper functioning.

    It is clearly evident that climate change is a reality, which both plants and animals must adapt to. Plant species are capable of evolving methods of adapting to changing conditions. Although, evolution occurs over long-time periods and thus, this makes it difficult for plant species to change with rapidly fluctuating conditions.

    Furthermore, plant preservation is very much threatened by deforestation and habitat destruction. This has large consequence for many species. For example, different animals depend on trees as a habitat; humans use trees to provide products for civilization; trees act as carbon sinks; and many individuals enjoy the aesthetic aspects of tree species.

    Plant preservation needs to a priority because once diversity is lost, it can never be returned. Plants also apply to many fields of study such as ethnobotany, ecology and dendrochronology. For example, in newer fields of study such as dendrogeomorphology, tree species are used to study the history of natural disasters and predict their spatial and temporal patterns.  

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    Deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest

    What are the issues or potential problems in reference to deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest? What are the environmental implications of deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest? Can the area be conserved through wise use or should segments be preserved without any use?