About Plant Biodiversity
- Trends in Biodiversity, PlantsPlant species are essential for life on earth. Through the process of photosynthesis, green plants containing chlorophyll capture energy from the sun and create carbohydrates, the basis of all food chains. In the process of photosynthesis, carbon dioxide is absorbed and oxygen released into the atmosphere. These processes are so fundamental in ecosystem functioning that the importance of plants is often overlooked. In effect plants are essential engines in the cycling of all nutrients on earth. They also play a fundamental role in the water cycle and in controlling climatic conditions. With the profound changes, brought about during the Anthropocene, plant diversity is being radically altered and destroyed. The implications of this are not fully understood scientifically, politically, economically, or culturally.
In addition to plants, other organisms that contain chlorophyll include cyanobacteria and algae. True plants consist of bryophytes (mosses, liverworts, and hornworts), pteridophytes (ferns and fern allies), gymnosperms (cone-bearing plants), and angiosperms (flowering plants). These groups, excluding bryophytes, are vascular plants. As well as their roles in nutrient and water cycling, plants provide a wide range of other ecosystem goods and services. Arguably tree species, which account for about 25% of vascular plant species, are of disproportionate ecological importance as a component of plant diversity. Trees provide the structural framework of forests which support over half the world's terrestrial biodiversity and contain approximately 50% of terrestrial carbon stocks (Newton et al., 2015).
Plant Extinction Statistics
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Streaming Media
- The Battle for the Amazon: The Xingu vs. the Belo Monte DamWhat will potentially become the world’s third-largest hydroelectric dam—and a symbol of the destruction of the last remaining significant rainforest on Earth—is currently under construction in the heart of the Amazon Basin. The Belo Monte Dam complex is expected to devastate an area of more than 370,000 acres of Brazilian rainforest while resulting in the forced displacement of approximately 20,000 people and the expected migration of 100,000 more. In the face of this danger, the Xingu, the indigenous people of the region and hereditary guardians of the forest, have decided to stand their ground and fight.
- Congo: Protecting the Gorilla Forests—Paradise PreservedSomething exceptional is happening in the rainforests in the north of the Republic of the Congo: here loggers are not destroying the environment, but are helping to preserve the natural habitat of the 70,000 gorillas who call this forest home. Working closely with nature conservationists, the IFO timber company has found a way to remain in business without destroying the tropical forests.
Perspectives
Principles and Practice of Plant Conservation
It is paradoxical that, despite the key role of plants in the book's preparation by reviewing manuscripts or the environment and our dependence on plant life for providing literature and case studies for inclusion. our very existence, the conservation movement has The preparation of the text, which went through var not given plants attention that is commensurate with ious drafts, involved Dr. Given in a great deal of re their importance. In an attempt to redress the balance search and travel for fact finding and consultation. of effort between plant and animal conservation, The completed draft was edited by Martin Walters, IUCN and WWF established in 1984 a joint Plant who also prepared it for publication. Professor Ver Conservation Programme, the aim of which was to non Heywood (IUCN) undertook a scientific edit of "assert the fundamental importance of plants in all the final draft. conservation activities:' Both IUCN and WWF would like to express their gratitude to Dr. Given for the enormous effort and One of the main themes of the joint Plant Conser painstaking labor that he has invested in the prepara vation Programme was "building the capacity to con serve. " This included a project, "Plant Conservation: tion of this book over a period of six years. The result Principles and Practice," aimed at providing practic is the first detailed overview ever to be published of ing conservationists with a handbook that explained this vitally important subject.
Controlling Tropical Deforestation
Tropical rain forest is being cleared so rapidly and on such a scale that it is a major global environmental problem, threatening the survival of half of the world's plant and animal species and contributing to global climate change through the greenhouse effect. But, despite widespread concern for over twenty years, only limited progress has been made in controlling deforestation and improving forest management in the humid tropics. In this book Alan Grainger offers afresh analysis of the causes of deforestation and presents an integrated strategy for controlling it. His strategy embraces agriculture, forestry and conservation and stresses the need for changes in government policies if land use is to be made more sustainable and the underlying causes of the problem are to be addressed. Controlling Tropical Deforestation is essential reading for policy makers, agronomists, foresters, conservationists and development professionals. To general readers and students on introductory courses at schools and universities it also offers the first concise but comprehensive overview of the causes, scale and consequences of deforestation. Originally published in 1992
Plant Conservation Genetics
A practical guide that covers both in situ and ex situ techniques for plant diversity conservation The conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources is of increasing importance globally. Plant Conservation Genetics addresses this issue by providing an extensive overview of this emerging area of science, exploring various pr
Working Forests in the Neotropics
By focusing on a set of critical issues and case studies, this book explores of the polarized debate over production-oriented forestry and the chances of achieving forest conservation through sustainable management.
Plant Conservation
In this, the latest in the People and Plants series, plant conservation is described in the context of livelihoods and development, and ways of balancing the conservation of plant diversity with the use of plants and the environment for human benefit are discussed. A central contention in this book is that local people must be involved if conservation is to be successful.Also examined are ways of prioritizing plants and places for conservation initiatives, approaches to in situ and ex situ conservation, and how to approach problems of unsustainable harvesting of wild plants. Roles for botanists, foresters, sociologists, development workers and others are discussed.This book acts as a unifying text for the series, integrating case studies and methodologies considered in previous volumes and pointing out in a comprehensive, accessible volume the valuable lessons to be learned.
Online Resources
- Bureau of Land Management-Plant Conservation AllianceThe Plant Conservation Alliance (PCA) is a public-private partnership among 15 federal agency Members and more than 400 non-federal Cooperators that share the same goal: to protect native plants by ensuring that native plant populations and their communities are maintained, enhanced, and restored.
- National Forest FoundationWe work on behalf of the American public to inspire personal and meaningful connections to our National Forests, the centerpiece of America’s public lands.
- U.S. Department of Agricluture-AgroforestryAgroforestry is the intentional integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems to create environmental, economic, and social benefits. It has been practiced in the United States and around the world for centuries.
- United States Botanic Garden-Plant ConservationThe U.S. Botanic Garden is dedicated to demonstrating the aesthetic, cultural, economic, therapeutic and ecological importance of plants to the well-being of humankind. The USBG fosters the exchange of ideas and information relevant to national and international partnerships.