Plants play a critical role in our ecosystem. They provide us with oxygen, create shade, and are a fundamental source of nourishment.
Additionally, plants make the air we breathe cleaner and safer by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Scientists have estimated that there are 8.7 million species of plants on Earth. However, many details remain uncertain.
Trees
Trees are one of the most beneficial and versatile plants on earth, providing us with shelter, fresh air and food. Additionally, trees absorb carbon dioxide and store it in their leaves for long-term storage.
Deforestation is decimating our planet, leading to more tree loss than ever before. That’s why Plant-for-the-Planet asked Yale University foresters to help answer this crucial question: How many trees are there in the world?
The researchers employed satellite imagery and ground truth data to make their estimate. They collected 429,775 tree counts on every continent except Antarctica, using this information to improve “tree density” estimates.
They found that the densest tree coverage occurs in cold regions like Scandinavia and Russia, where trees can cover up to 24% of a region’s land area. On the other hand, tropical and subtropical forests account for nearly half of all global tree population.
Trees have the capacity to slow down wind speeds, helping reduce temperatures in cities. Furthermore, they absorb stormwater runoff which prevents soil erosion and flooding.
Furthermore, these ecosystems support diverse microhabitats that foster amazing communities of birds, insects and fungi. Furthermore, some tree species – like California’s bristlecone pines – can live to be over 4,000 years old!
According to a new study published in Nature, the planet now supports 3.04 trillion trees – seven and half times higher than previously estimated. That translates to at least 420 trees per person on Earth according to Thomas Crowther, the study’s author.
Herbs
Herbs are plants used for culinary, medicinal, aromatic or spiritual purposes. These include leaves, seeds, bark, roots, flowers and pericarp.
There are thousands of herbs growing on earth. Many are edible and some possess medicinal properties, such as mint which may be useful for digestive or kidney issues.
From ancient times, herbs have been valued as medicinal treatments. In the Middle Ages, Roman physician Pedanius Dioscorides wrote extensively about the therapeutic uses of many herbs in his book De Materia Medica.
Herbs are an essential food source for astronauts in space, as they aid in maintaining health and well-being. Since astronauts typically eat three meals a day while up there, it’s essential that what they consume is nutritious and healthful.
Mint can help with indigestion, while basil has been known to soothe kidney issues and other ailments. However, it’s essential to remember that all plants are not created equal when it comes to health benefits.
Herbs can also be highly desirable to insects and other animals, making it a wise idea to plant them in an area where they will attract pollinators. Honey bees and other bumblebees particularly enjoy certain herbs like marjoram, borage, hyssop and mint; these herbs provide nourishment for these beneficial pollinators.
Herbs can be grown in either a garden or container and should be planted in full sun or part shade. Some herbs, like chervil, are not very hardy so it’s wise to give them their own area in the garden where they will flourish; this will prevent them from taking over other parts of your landscape.
Grass
A recently published report on plants revealed that there are just shy of 400,000 species currently known. Many are endangered or extinct, while many more remain to be identified. Furthermore, researchers continue to discover new species every day.
Plants can be divided into two main groups: nonvascular (non-plant) and vascular (plant). Mosses and liverworts, for instance, were the earliest known types of plants with no vascular tissues to transport water and nutrients but still considered plants as they produce seeds or spores.
Vascular plants were only recently discovered on Earth. These types of plants possess vascular structures which transport water and nutrients from the soil to other parts of the plant.
Poaceae (Gramineae) are an extensive group of monocotyledonous flowering plants, including cereal grasses like wheat, rice and maize as well as bamboos. Additionally they include those species grown for food or fodder purposes like lawn grasses and pasture grasses cultivated for lawns or pastures.
Grasses have evolved in a variety of environments and are an important element of many terrestrial ecosystems, such as salt marshes, reed beds and steppes. Not only that but they’re eaten by grazing mammals and provide shelter for various insect species.
Grassed biomes, or grassland habitats, cover approximately 31% of Earth’s land area. These include pastures, prairies and savannas – vital sources of food for both wildlife and humans alike; additionally they help keep climate stability by absorbing excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Furthermore, grassed ecosystems play a significant role in conserving natural habitats; typically found near southern coastlines or along mountain ranges but present worldwide.
Flowers
Plants such as trees, bushes, vines, ferns and mosses are essential to Earth’s survival. Not only do they produce oxygen for us to breathe but they also provide primary energy through photosynthesis by converting carbon dioxide and water into nutrients like sugars and proteins. Without plants on Earth would not exist.
There are over 400 thousand plant species worldwide. Of these, more than eighty thousand are angiosperms–floraling plants.
The number of flowering plants on Earth is constantly fluctuating, as new ones are discovered and others disappear. As a result, the exact number of blooming plants on Earth remains uncertain.
Recently, researchers from Royal Botanic Gardens Kew published the first ever global assessment of all plant species on Earth. Their results revealed that there are 390,900 different varieties across the planet.
They further discovered that 21% of the world’s plants are threatened with extinction due to climate change, habitat loss and disease.
These findings serve as a powerful reminder that we must all take steps to safeguard plants from extinction. We must guarantee they have the opportunity to thrive and continue providing food and shelter to us.
In addition, the study revealed that an impressive number of new species are discovered annually. These discoveries help scientists better comprehend Earth’s plant diversity and the relationship between different plant groups, enabling them to make informed decisions regarding conservation initiatives.
Fruits
Plants are an integral part of Earth’s ecosystem, providing food, clothing, shelter and medicine. They make up one of the two major groups of living organisms alongside animals and can be found worldwide in all shapes and sizes imaginable – from green algae to mosses, ferns, vines, grasses, bushes, herbs and flowers.
All plants survive by taking in carbon dioxide and sunlight to make glucose (sugar) and oxygen. Furthermore, they possess a cell wall made of cellulose which acts like an artificial bone structure for protection when exposed to air.
As plants develop, they can yield a wide variety of fruits. Some can be eaten while others can be used for making beverages such as juices and wine.
Fruits come in an incredible range of flavors and sizes, from small and sweet to bitter and tart.
On Earth, there are thousands of different fruits to discover and scientific research is ongoing to discover more. Every year, scientists uncover new varieties of mangoes and bananas.
Although many types of fruit are edible, some can be toxic. Some examples include coyote melon, baneberry and alpine honeysuckle.
According to the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, there are over 390,900 species of plants worldwide. Of these, approximately 1,000 to 2,000 can be considered edible by humans and make up most of our food crops worldwide.
