Importance of plants

The importance of plants is very great due to several factors

In this blog we talk a lot about different species of vegetables, about botany, about gardening and necessary tools, about gardens and tips for growing vegetables and fruits, and many more topics related to the plant world. But have you ever stopped to think about the importance that plants really have? What would the planet be like without them? The effects they have on ecosystems and the environment?

We are going to talk about this precisely in this article. We will explain the importance of plants at a general level, for living beings in particular and for ecosystems. We will also explain what the world would be without vegetables. So if you are interested in the subject, keep reading.

What is the importance of plants and trees?

Plants are important for oxygen production

Today it is not a mystery that plants and trees are of vital importance to us. They expel oxygen, which is essential for humans and many other animals, through their leaves through a process called photosynthesis. In short: Vegetables absorb carbon dioxide and transform it into oxygen, which they expel back into the environment. In this way, the plants manage to feed themselves to develop correctly and at the same time they become the most important source of oxygen for our existence.

However, the importance of plants does not reside only in the supply of oxygen. Although this function is vital for the human being, They also provide other advantages that allow us to live on this planet. Let's see below the main benefits of vegetables:

  • They contribute oxygen to the atmosphere.
  • They generate large amounts of foods for many living things (including humans).
  • Prevent soil erosion
  • Generally decrease the noise pollution.
  • They offer sun protection and cool the atmosphere.
  • We can get other products and materials thanks to vegetables, such as wood.
  • They are the home, habitat and / or ecosystems of other animals and insects.
  • They beautify the landscapes.

This list shows that there are many advantages that plants offer to planet earth. Without them, life here would be very different. Imagine only deserts everywhere, with nothing green. Horrible, right? That is why we must take care of vegetables and thus protect our planet.

Importance of plants for living beings

For many living beings, the importance of plants translates as an essential habitat, home or ecosystem. In addition, they provide a significant amount of food and nutrients to different species, in which we are included. Without plants, many species of animals and insects would go extinct. However, as we have already mentioned, the main benefit that plants provide us is oxygen.

Do you know how much air we breathe every day? According to studies, a person can consume in a day, that is, in 24 hours, about 8.600 liters of air. This equates to nothing more and nothing less than six liters per minute. During the process of respiration, we also expel carbon dioxide. This turns out to be necessary for plants to photosynthesize and create oxygen. Therefore, they help us and we help them.

In total 22 trees are required for each person per day. In this way the oxygen demand is covered. Trees are often called "lungs of the earth," and for good reason. However, deforestation carried out by humans is damaging both the short and long term to the survival of our species, many living beings and the entire planet.

Climate change problematic

To stop the greenhouse effect on the planet we must take care of plants

As we have already mentioned previously, during the process of breathing we expel carbon dioxide at the same time, which remains in the environment. Together with other gases, they accumulate in the atmosphere, causing a very strong and accelerated climate change. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, human beings have been destroying many natural aspects in their wake that are vitally important for the planet to function properly and for us to continue living on it. Trees, for example, can absorb up to 22 kilos of carbon dioxide each year, but still we continue to destroy entire forests. The only solution to stop the greenhouse effect that is being created on earth is through plants and trees.

I am going to present you a curious fact: There is a tree of Chinese origin that is known as «tree of Life«. This majestic species can absorb ten times more carbon dioxide than any other type of tree. Consequently, it also produces more oxygen. And best of all, it is easy to maintain and highly resistant to extreme climates and fires.

Importance of plants in ecosystems

What is an ecosystem? It is a biological system made up of a physical environment and a community of different living organisms that are related to each other. It is a habitat in which all the inhabitants coexist and provide essential aspects for the ecosystem to be properly maintained.

With all the benefits that vegetables provide, it is not surprising that the importance of plants in ecosystems is very great. In fact, some of them, such as trees, can in themselves be a complete ecosystem, since different insects, fungi and animals can inhabit them. For this reason, it is of the utmost importance to take care of the trees and thus take care of small ecosystems that at the same time collaborate in the great ecosystem that is the world and in which we live.

Another reason why plants are essential for ecosystems is their contribution in food and nutrients. Many living things feed on different plant compounds. We ourselves, for example, eat fruits, vegetables, and grains. All these foods have their origin in plants. Even the meat we eat requires vegetables, as they are the main source of food for livestock.

What if plants disappeared from planet Earth?

Without vegetables, the earth would be a great desert

Despite being inert beings, that is, still and without the appearance of having life, the importance of plants is fundamental for all living beings that inhabit the planet. Thanks to them, life on earth is possible and their absence on other planets, among other things, is the reason why we cannot colonize them, at least for now.

Plants contribute oxygen to the environment through photosynthesis. It is a process by which they feed and thus be able to grow and develop correctly. To carry it out they need the clorofila, which is a substance found in the leaves of vegetables and which is responsible for its characteristic green color. Through chlorophyll, plants transform sunlight into food and in the process release oxygen that is essential for us and many other living beings. In this way, plants breathe and live and also allow us and the rest of the species that inhabit the planet to do so.

In addition, plants are our main source of food. Fruits, vegetables, and grains form the basis of our diet and that of many animals and other organisms. It could be said that vegetables are the beginning and the end of the food chain, since they form the basis of the diet of many species, which in turn can be food for carnivores. However, they all end up producing and becoming organic remains that feed the earth, providing necessary nutrients for plants.

How to care for wild plants

It is important to take care of plants to conserve our planet

When it comes to caring for the planet, there are more ways than recycling and cycling. As we have learned now, plants are essential to our survival on earth. The reason why our planet is in danger is because of human activity, which destroys the environment causing fatal consequences.

What can we do to take care of the plants? First of all, when it comes to cutting down trees, we must not go too fast. The important thing is to give them time to grow back. We must also monitor the amount of green areas that we are destroying, whether to build buildings, amusement parks, parking lots, whatever. With this act we not only reduce the amount of oxygen that the planet generates, but we also leave many animals homeless.

While it is important to reconnect with nature, it is also to do so with great respect. Therefore, when we go on an excursion to the forest, the mountain, or wherever, we must try not to leave a trace of us. That is to say: No garbage. Bags, cans, wrappers, etc. They can harm not only animals, but vegetables as well, not to mention how gross and dirty it can be to other hikers. It is also important that we remember the danger of making fires, even if it's for a barbecue. You should always put out the fire well and watch that there are no embers. Another important factor that can cause disastrous fires is cigarette butts.

We must take care of plants and nature all together if we want to save this planet. For this it is important that everyone is aware of the importance of plants.


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