The importance of plants in the life of humans and animals. The role of plants in nature and human life

And human life

Plants are the primary source of existence, prosperity and development of life on Earth, primarily due to their ability to carry out photosynthesis. Photosynthesis occurs almost everywhere on our planet, and therefore its overall effect is colossal. In the process of photosynthesis, green plants create organic substances from carbon dioxide and water (Fig. 16.1), serve as a source of valuable food products (grains, vegetables, fruits, etc.), raw materials for industry and construction.

Rice. 16.1. The structure of primary connections between plants

and animals (Balogh, 1958).

Formation of gas composition atmospheric air, as is known, is also directly dependent on plants. Green plants release about 5 × 10 11 tons of free oxygen per year during photosynthesis. One hectare of corn releases 15 tons of oxygen per year, which is enough for 30 people to breathe. All the oxygen in the atmosphere passes through the green matter in about 2000 years. Over 300 years, plants absorb as much carbon as is contained in the atmosphere and waters. The annual chemical energy of photosynthetic products was 1000 times higher than energy production at the end of the 20th century. all the power plants in the world. It has been established that the plants of the Earth annually form more than 177 billion tons of organic matter through the process of photosynthesis.

Plants participate in the formation of humus, which is the most essential part of the soil and ensures its high fertility. In addition to carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, the molecules of many organic substances include atoms of nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and often other elements (iron, cobalt, magnesium, copper). All of them are extracted by plants from the soil or aquatic environment in the form of salt ions, mainly in oxidized form. Mineral salts are not washed out from the surface layers of the soil, since vegetation constantly absorbs some of the minerals from the soil and transfers them to animals for food. Animals, like plants, after dying, transfer mineral substances back into the soil, from where they are again absorbed by plants." Plants, in the process of leaching, seem to remove mineral salts and constantly maintain their content in the soil, which is important for its fertility.

Vegetation has a great influence on climate, water bodies, animal world and other elements of the biosphere with which it is closely interconnected. The nature of the biocenosis, ecosystem, their morphological and functional structure, and the biogeocenotic activity of the components largely depend on the nature of the vegetation. Vegetation is of great importance in human life. First of all, vegetation represents a necessary environment for human life. Wild flora is an invaluable genetic fund in breeding work when creating new varieties of agricultural crops. According to N.M. Chernova et al. (1995) most of the plants that provide about 90% of the world's food today appeared through cultivation wild plants(Fig. 16.2).

Rice. 16.2. Centers of origin of cultivated plants

(according to N.M. Chernova et al., 1995)

Employees of the All-Russian Institute of Plant Growing (VIR) have established the presence in Russia of about 600 wild species that are relatives of cultivated plants. Many of them served as the basis for the development of more than 1,500 new varieties.

For many centuries, people have been extracting from plants a variety of medicinal substances that are so necessary in medical and veterinary practice. More than 1,000 species of medicinal plants are in circulation on the modern world market. Among them are preparations from the root of life - ginseng, eleutherococcus, lily of the valley, spring adonis (Fig. 16.3).

Rice. 16.3. Medicinal plants(according to V.K. Terletsky, 1991):

1 - mountain arnica; 2 - common viburnum; 3 - Chinese lemongrass; 4 - real ginseng

Thus, about 80% of people in developing countries rely mainly on wild medicinal herbs and other plants. About half of the prescribed and non-prescribed drugs consumed worldwide contain natural ingredients obtained from wild organisms. A quarter of these ingredients are obtained from plants found only in tropical forests. Plants are the most important food resource for humans, many of them are used in a variety of technological processes (brewing, baking, cleaning Wastewater etc.). Plants serve as the main food supply for domestic and many wild animals. They participate in the formation of minerals, protect the surface of the Earth from destruction by water flows and wind, and from covering fertile soil with sand.

The indicator role of plants deserves attention. By observing plants, man, even in ancient times, acquired landmarks in space and time - plants faithfully served him instead of a compass. Some plants showed a person the time of day quite accurately. Other plants served as a barometer and hygrometer and were indicators of fresh and salt water. Currently, indicator plants are used in their research and practice by geologists, hydrologists, land managers, soil scientists, climatologists, foresters, archaeologists, etc. For example, with the help of plants it is possible to detect kimberlite pipes that hide diamonds. Plants can serve as indicators of soil fertility. Yu. M. Columella was a deep expert in the agronomic science of the ancient Roman state. He wrote: “It is appropriate for a zealous owner to be able to judge sensibly the properties of the soil by the foliage of trees, herbs or already ripened fruits and know what can grow well on it.” His contemporary Pliny adhered to a similar point of view: “Elderberry, blackberry, field onion, clover, wild apple and pear are signs of grain soil.” Plants react sharply to changes in external conditions. Depending on the nature of the soil cover, certain plants are most widespread.

The negative effects of car exhaust gases are so clearly manifested on some plants that they can be successfully used to detect concentrations of these gases that are dangerous to people. This is especially important in places where exhaust gases accumulate, for example in tunnels or on busy highways. Drying of the ends of leaves, changes in color, and the appearance of white spots on plants indicate the presence of dangerous pollutants in the environment.

Plants detoxify harmful substances in different ways. Some of the harmful substances are bound by the cytoplasm of plant cells and become inactive, others undergo transformations in plants into non-toxic products and participate in metabolism.

To combat harmful microorganisms, plants have developed a number of substances that can suppress their activity. These include antibiotics (penicillin, streptomycin, tetracycline, etc.) and phytoncides. Onions and garlic have strong bactericidal properties. In this regard, they have been used as medicinal agents for a long time. One juniper plant releases 30 g of volatile substances per day, and one hectare produces an amount of phytoncides that is sufficient to clean all the streets of a big city from microbes. Vegetation for a person is also a source of aesthetic pleasure, influencing him psychological impact. Many plants have become the objects of careful bionic research with the aim of using existing principles and mechanisms in technology, etc.

The negative value of vegetation in comparison with the benefits it brings is insignificant. Thus, some species of wild plants grow as weeds on cultivated lands and pastures. In some places we have to deal with the overgrowth of reservoirs and canals. Sometimes the massive development of aquatic vegetation causes summer fish kills in lakes. There are also some other cases of harmful effects of plants on humans (poisoning, fungal diseases) and the economy (fouling of the bottoms of ships, overgrowing of roads, etc.).

Here it is appropriate to give another argument in favor of the undesirability of exterminating even one single plant species, no matter how unnecessary or even harmful this species may seem today. The principle must be taken into account potential usefulness. We are not able to foresee what significance this or that species may have for a person in the future. Species considered completely useless or harmful often later acquired enormous importance. Thus, molds that turned out to be harmful gave antibiotics to humanity, and numerous bacteria, which also seemed useless, work for humanity, included in the technology for extracting a number of types of minerals, etc. The gene pool of existing organisms is an invaluable evolutionary gift, from correct use which largely determines the direction of scientific and technological progress in various fields of human activity.

Human impact on

Vegetation

Human activity has a huge impact on vegetation, both positive and negative. As an object of protection, vegetation can be divided into aquatic, soil, underground and aboveground.

Water Vegetation plays a big role in the life of reservoirs and their inhabitants, but is poorly used by humans.

Soil vegetation - bacteria, algae, individual species Fungi play an important role in the processes of soil formation and the formation of its fertility.

Ground vegetation, numbering more than 500 thousand species (of which 300 thousand are higher species of plants), is most used by humans and is subject to influence from him.

It is difficult to say today how many plants have disappeared on the planet that can no longer be created again. However, many facts indicate the disappearance of about 30 thousand plant species. There are about 20 thousand plant species in our country. Of these, approximately up to 60% grows in natural hayfields and pastures. More than 530 species have now become rare.

As a result of human activity over vast areas, wild plants are replaced by cultivated ones, i.e. man, in his own interests, is constantly transforming the surrounding world of plants. Plant communities are strongly influenced by domestic and wild animals. Uneaten plants remain untouched or are trampled under hooves. Unsystematic grazing of livestock leads to degeneration of pastures and causes water and wind erosion of the soil.

Industrial emissions have a great influence on the growth and development of plants. Once released into the air, they eventually settle on plants. Plant growth can slow down by 2 times, and sometimes more. Some industrial emissions are highly toxic and cause drying out of plants. It has been established that the yield of wheat in areas where non-ferrous metallurgy is located is 40-50% lower, and the protein content in it is 25-35% lower. There are often cases of destruction and damage to plants that cannot be justified in any way. For example, massive contamination of hayfields, pastures and other areas with transported industrial waste and all kinds of garbage. Mass collections of flowers, unorganized visits and relaxation in the lap of nature leave serious consequences for plants.

Related information.

Plants are the primary source of existence, prosperity and development of life on Earth, primarily due to their ability to carry out photosynthesis. Photosynthesis occurs almost everywhere on our planet, and therefore its overall effect is colossal. In the process of photosynthesis, green plants create organic substances from carbon dioxide and water, serving as a source of valuable food products (grains, vegetables, fruits, etc.), raw materials for industry and construction.

The formation of the gas composition of atmospheric air, as is known, is also directly dependent on plants. Green plants release about 5*1011 tons of free oxygen per year during photosynthesis. One hectare of corn releases 15 tons of oxygen per year, which is enough for 30 people to breathe. All the oxygen in the atmosphere passes through the green matter in about 2000 years. Over 300 years, plants absorb as much carbon as is contained in the atmosphere and waters. The annual chemical energy of photosynthesis products was 1000 times higher than the energy production of all power plants in the world at the end of the 20th century. It has been established that the plants of the Earth annually form more than 177 billion tons of organic matter through the process of photosynthesis.

Plants participate in the formation of humus, which is the most essential part of the soil and ensures its high fertility. In addition to carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, the molecules of many organic substances include atoms of nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and often other elements (iron, cobalt, magnesium, copper). All of them are extracted by plants from the soil or aquatic environment in the form of salt ions, mainly in oxidized form. Mineral salts are not washed out from the surface layers of the soil, since vegetation constantly absorbs some of the minerals from the soil and transfers them to animals for food. Animals, just like plants, after they die, transfer minerals back into the soil, from where they are again absorbed by plants. Plants thus remove mineral salts and constantly maintain their content in the soil, which is important for its fertility.

Vegetation has a great influence on climate, water bodies, wildlife and other elements of the biosphere, with which it is closely interconnected.

The nature of the biocenosis, ecosystem, their morphological and functional structure, and the biogeocenotic activity of the components largely depend on the nature of the vegetation.

Vegetation is of great importance in human life. First of all, vegetation represents a necessary environment for human life. Wild flora is an invaluable genetic fund in breeding work when creating new varieties of agricultural crops. Most of the plants that provide about 90% of the world's food today came from the domestication of wild plants.

Thus, about 80% of people in developing countries rely primarily on wild medicinal herbs and other plants to take care of their health. About half of the prescribed and non-prescribed drugs consumed worldwide contain natural ingredients obtained from wild organisms. A quarter of these ingredients are obtained from plants found only in tropical forests. Plants are the most important food resource for humans, many of them are used in a variety of technological processes (brewing, baking, wastewater treatment, etc.). Plants serve as the main food supply for domestic and many wild animals. They participate in the formation of minerals, protect the surface of the Earth from destruction by water flows and wind, and from covering fertile soil with sand.

To combat harmful microorganisms, plants have developed a number of substances that can suppress their activity. These include antibiotics (penicillin, streptomycin, tetracycline, etc.) and phytoncides. Onions and garlic have strong bactericidal properties. In this regard, they have been used as medicinal agents for a long time. One juniper plant releases 30 g of volatile substances per day, and one hectare produces an amount of phytoncides that is sufficient to clean all the streets of a big city from microbes. Vegetation for a person is also a source of aesthetic pleasure, which has a psychological effect on him. Many plants have become the objects of careful bionic research with the aim of using existing principles and mechanisms in technology, etc.

Here it is appropriate to give another argument in favor of the undesirability of exterminating even one single plant species, no matter how unnecessary or even harmful this species may seem today.

The principle of potential utility must be taken into account. We are not able to foresee what significance this or that species may have for a person in the future. Species considered completely useless or harmful often later acquired enormous importance. Thus, molds that turned out to be harmful gave antibiotics to humanity, and numerous bacteria, which also seemed useless, work for humanity, included in the technology for extracting a number of types of minerals, etc. The gene pool of existing organisms is an invaluable evolutionary gift, the correct use of which will lead to The direction of scientific and technological progress in various fields of human activity depends greatly.

Akopov Vitaly

annotation

Problem: expanding knowledge about the role of plants on Earth and in human life. Ecological self-education.

Subject:"The role of plants in human life"

Target: searching for information about various groups plants and their role in human life.

Hypothesis: collecting information about various plants will expand your horizons, acquire skills in working with popular science literature, and provide an opportunity for environmental self-education.

Tasks:

1. collecting information about various plants;

2. broadening one’s horizons in the field of knowledge about the world around us;

3. prove the need to preserve the environment of the unique planet Earth.

An object: groups of plants.

Research base: collected documentary and photographic material, scientific and educational literature.

Methods: search, analysis, excursion, observation, generalization.

Product: research, photos.

Download:

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Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan

KSU "Gymnasium of the city of Balkhash"

Direction - natural Sciences

Research project on the topic:

student of 2nd "B" grade at the gymnasium

Balkhash city, Karaganda region

Head: Kim E.O.,

primary school teacher

Balkhash - 2013

CONTENT

Abstract 3

Introduction 4

Chapter 2. Medicinal plants. 8

Chapter 3. Energy-bearing plants. 9

Conclusion 10

References 12

annotation

Problem: expanding knowledge about the role of plants on Earth and in human life. Ecological self-education.

Subject: "The role of plants in human life"

Target: searching for information about various groups of plants and their role in human life.

Tasks:

collecting information about various plants;
broadening your horizons in the field of knowledge about the world around you;
prove the need to preserve the natural environment of the unique planet Earth.

An object: groups of plants.

Research base:collected documentary and photographic material, scientific and educational literature.

Methods: search, analysis, excursion, observation, generalization.

Product: research work, photographs.

Introduction

Since childhood, my parents, grandparents instilled in me a love of nature. “Don’t break branches, don’t tear leaves,” they said. The role of green plants in nature, human and animal life is very great. When I relax with my grandparents at the dacha, they talk with love about how they planted the first tree, how they harvested the first harvest. Grandparents even talk to the plants as if they were living people, and it seems that the plants understand them and reciprocate. At home, mom also always takes care of flowers; each of her plants has a strictly designated place and diet. Dad, while relaxing in nature, will definitely force us to collect the trash we left behind.

I used to think that it was only my parents who were too strict: others didn’t prohibit it. I broke one branch, tore off one leaf, that will change. But one day, when I was walking on the street, I witnessed a little boy breaking tree branches. The adults who saw this stood up to protect the green plant. Already at home I started thinking, maybe I had listened to something from the stories of my parents and teacher.

What role do green plants play in human life? Why do adults treat green plants so carefully? What plants do we use for food? How much and what vitamins do we get from plant foods? Is the most durable building material also due to plants? Are the clothes we wear made from plants too? This means that without giants, which are so large that their peaks can be viewed through a telescope, and tiny plants, which are so tiny that they can only be seen through a microscope, life on earth is impossible. Let's figure this out.

Chapter 1. From green leaf originate all manifestations of life on earth

Everything a person needs is contained in the surrounding world; this is everything that plants give us for real, non-artificial life. The importance of plants in human life is very great. Thanks to photosynthesis, green plants enrich the atmosphere with oxygen and cleanse the air of excess carbon dioxide. You might think that plants contain an entire chemical laboratory for the production of vital substances. Amazing transformations occur in plant leaves. Water, sunlight and carbon dioxide - the one we exhale turns into oxygen and organic matter. We and all living beings need oxygen for breathing, and organic matter for nutrition.

Plants used for food.

Everything that grows in our fields, gardens and orchards is where people get their most important food products. Food plants are the most most important species plant resources without which man cannot exist. Food is a material for building the body of an organism, a material for metabolism and a source of energy necessary for life. Every plant has nutrients that humans can use. But only those plants that have organs with a high concentration of organic substances can be called food plants - these will be seeds, fruits, tubers, thickened roots, rhizomes, bulbs, and less often, these will be leaves and roots. About 70% of the human diet consists of food of plant origin.

Cereal plants play an important role in human nutrition. They are the source of the healthiest and most versatile food for humans and have an optimal ratio of nutrients. The products obtained from these plants are cereals, used primarily to produce porridges, and flour, from which various bakery products are made.

Vegetable plants are a very specific and very important group of plants. Vegetables contain proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, mineral salts and organic acids. Vegetables are eaten boiled, fried, stewed, or stuffed. For long-term storage they are salted, fermented, and pickled. Fresh vegetable plants are very useful.

Fruit and berry plants contain substances valuable for human nutrition: microelements, vitamins, organic acids, mineral salts and other biologically active substances. Without them, there cannot be normal development of the body, especially in childhood. Fruits and berries are best consumed fresh, and most often they are most useful when just picked, but when correct storage they can remain fresh for a long time without losing significantly useful qualities.

Leguminous plants are characterized by a high content of carbohydrates, fat, and protein and therefore are of particular importance in human protein nutrition. Some plants are used for grain, others serve as a supplier of green mass for livestock. Seeds of leguminous plants are used to prepare soups, salads, sauces, and desserts.

Sugar plants contain sweet juice in their stems, tubers or fruits and are used for industrial sugar production. Sugar culture is the most important and oldest crop in the world.

Oilseeds are plants that accumulate in certain organs a large number of fatty acids. Most often these are seeds, less often - fruits, and even less often - underground vegetative organs. Vegetable fats are an important food product. These plants are used in natural and processed forms.

Spicy plants are plants that have a strong aroma or a pungent, pungent and bitter taste. Spicy plants improve the taste of food, even those of low taste, stimulate appetite, and increase the efficiency of the digestion process. Spicy substances are needed not only by humans, but also by animals. Spicy plants make food more varied.

Beverages.

Popular drinks - beer, wine, coffee, cocoa, tea, fruit juices are also obtained from plants. The plants from which drinks are made are also related to food plants, as they contain certain nutritional and general

substances useful to humans. On the one hand, they contain nutrients.

sugars, amino acids, other organic acids, on the other hand, drinks contribute to the absorption of basic food. The taste and aesthetic value of drinks is very important; if they give pleasure to a person, then they only benefit him. However, it must be borne in mind that drinks of plant origin may contain substances that affect nervous system person, such drinks are called tonics, this includes alcoholic drinks. Such drinks should be used with caution, taking into account the age, health status of the person and the nature of the drink itself. Even harmless drinks: tea, coffee, cocoa require proper consumption.

Many people who care about their health and the health of their children prefer to eat plant-based foods and drinks.

Forage plants.

Forage plants serve as the main food supply for domestic and some

wild animals. Food plants are also related to human nutrition. They are not used by humans directly as food, but serve as food for farm animals, and humans consume animal products, i.e., processed plant foods. Plants also serve as food for wild animals. The quality of animal products also depends on the characteristics of forage plants.

Honey plants.

Plant flowers produce organic substances from which honey is created in the bee's body. It is advisable by honey plants, in this broader sense, to mean all those plants that ensure the normal existence of the bee colony and make it possible to obtain beekeeping products necessary both for the honey bee itself and for humans. Beekeeping is an ancient human activity. Beekeeping products are highly valued and expensive. Honey and beekeeping products convey to humans the existing natural potential, a set of active substances, enzymes, micro and macro elements that are indispensable for all stages of human growth and development.

Honey is widely used in folk medicine.

Vitamin-containing plants.

The main sources of vitamins are plants. In essence, all plants are vitamin-rich, but to varying degrees: different content of vitamins and a different set of them. Vitamin-rich plants are those where there is an optimal ratio of vitamin content for the human body in qualitative and quantitative terms. Without vitamins, there cannot be a normal course of metabolism, both in plants themselves and in humans; the absence or even deficiency of certain vitamins leads to serious diseases - vitamin deficiencies. One of the most greatest meanings plants in everything organic world lies in the fact that only plants are capable of synthesizing most vitamins, and humans absorb them from food in ready-made form and accumulate them in various tissues. Vegetables and fruits are low-calorie foods, so they can be eaten in large quantities, while receiving a significant portion of natural vitamins. They are easily digestible without taking away your digestive energy. Vital vitamins are also found in medicinal plants.

Chapter 2. Medicinal plants.

“All food substances must be medicinal substances, and medicinal substances must be nutritive substances”

Medicinal plants - a group of plants, parts of which are raw materials for obtaining remedies used in folk or medical practice, with medicinal or for preventive purposes. Beneficial properties are contained in plants in the form of biological complexes, therefore herbal medicines act more gently, effectively, give a lasting positive effect and rarely have side effects, ballast substances of plant origin are easily removed from the body. 40% of the medicines used are of plant origin, i.e. they are prepared directly from plant materials. Almost all food plants have medicinal and prophylactic properties; It also contains vitamins. Human health, first of all, depends on a balanced diet, on a proper diet.

People sometimes learned about the medicinal properties of certain plants by watching animals, and they ate them in order to be cured.

Trees are a source of wood.

Trees are used as a source of wood. The wood is comparatively hard and durable fibrous material, the main part of the trunks, branches and roots of trees and shrubs hidden by bark. Wood is a plant material that has greatest number applications, according to production estimates, wood has at least 20 thousand applications. Wood is a traditional building material, environmentally friendly with centuries of experience in use. Wood is very easy to process and you can make anything from it, it does not pose any danger to human health, often has a beautiful color and is quite durable. It is widely used in house construction, furniture industry, manufacturing musical instruments. IN wooden houses good energy, which has a beneficial effect on mood, health, increased performance - this is due to the ability of wood to “breathe”. WITH wooden furniture the apartment is warm on a chilly winter day, cool in summer heat, wood plays the role of a natural air conditioner. Due to its high resonant properties, wood is an indispensable material in the production of musical instruments: balalaikas, flutes, clarinet, dombras, mandolins, piano keyboards.

A significant portion of the various types of paper and cardboard used for the manufacture of cardboard containers is made from wood processing products. The need for paper is enormous all over the world.

Chapter 3. Energy-bearing plants.

All green plants are essentially batteries solar energy. It lies in the chemical energy of organic molecules that make up plants. Energy-bearing plants are those plants that are used as fuel, i.e. otherwise they can be called fuel plants. Historically, the use of wood as fuel is its oldest use. At the present historical moment, 90% of the energy (fuel) needs of modern humanity are satisfied by fossil products of photosynthesis - coal, oil, natural gas, peat, oil shale.

Rubber plants.

This group of plants is characterized by the formation of polyterpenes - rubber - in special excretory tissues (milky tubes) or in individual tissues. Such plants deserve the name rubber plants. Natural rubber has good elasticity, high electrical insulating properties, and resistance to various environmental conditions, which makes it widely used in the national economy. Natural rubber is especially widely used in the rubber, electrical, and shipbuilding industries, for the manufacture of materials and items for household, household and other uses. In total, there are 2,000 species of plants known in the world that produce rubber.

Spinning or fibrous plants.

The plant is a source of many types of raw materials. Material for clothing is provided by so-called spinning or fibrous plants. These include: cotton, flax, kenaf, hemp, jute, sisal, ramie. They find greatest application in the textile industry. They produce a wide variety of textile fabrics - linen, bedding, and lining. They are used for weaving, spinning, and weaving. They can also be padding material, and sometimes insulating. In some plants, spinning fibers are obtained from the stems, in others from the leaves, in others from the hairs covering the seeds. Cotton is used to make a wide variety of and very popular fabrics: calico, cambric, voile, voile, flannel. Flax fibers have an extremely wide application: it is used to make a wide variety of fabrics - linen, clothes, lining, tablecloths, towels, tarpaulins, threads, ropes. Hemp fibers are used to make wonderful, moisture-resistant ropes, fishing nets, twine, and rough but durable canvases, which are used to make firefighter's clothing. Ramie fiber is used to prepare linen and technical fabrics, curtains, and furniture upholstery. Jute fibers are also used to make tarpaulins, carpets, ropes, and curtains. The rope is used to make burlap, ropes, ropes. The stem of kenaf is used to produce rough canvas, burlap, packaging containers, ropes, cords, and tarpaulins. Marine ropes, ropes, brushes, and burlap are made from the fibers of sisal leaves.

Conclusion.

Green plants play important role In human life. Thanks to my work, I learned a lot of important and interesting things about the meaning of plants.

On garden plots, fields and vegetable gardens people look after fruit trees, vegetable crops, shrubs are cultivated in fields for wheat, rye, oats and other grains. For this, nature, in gratitude, rewards us with a rich harvest of fruits, vegetables, berries, and grains. Man receives from nature

There will be no plants on earth clean air, people will get sick.

Now I know that there are no unnecessary things in nature. Everything in it is arranged in such a way as to complement or replace. Nature is big and interesting world which surrounds us. Life doesn’t stop here for a minute. The land, devoid of plants, will turn into a barren, lifeless desert.

They are different:

Useful, dangerous,

Beautiful, fragrant,

With leaves, prickly.

The medicine is replaced

And they are a delicacy

And they will give us tea,

And they will even build a house,

They are creatures of the earth,

We call them PLANTS.

List of used literature:

The problem of forests. Deforestation, Geography - Environmental Issues, online resourcehttp://www.referat.freecopy.ru/download.php?id=5507.
"Ecology", tutorial, under the general editorship of prof. S.A. Bogolyubova - M., “Knowledge”, 1997.
N.F. Vinogradova, “Nature management”. – M., 1994.
Konstantinov V.M., Chelidze Yu.B., Ecological foundations of environmental management: – M.: Masterstvo, 2002.

The role of plants in nature and human life

The importance of vegetation in nature and human life is very great. Green plants, through photosynthesis and excretion, provide life on Earth. Photosynthesis is a complex biochemical process in which plants, through the green pigment chlorophyll, using the energy of sunlight, synthesize energy-rich organic substances from carbon dioxide and water. As a result, solar energy is converted into the energy of chemical bonds. Plants are producers of organic substances in the biosphere; they serve as the basis of trophic pyramids, ensuring the existence of other organisms.

Photosynthesis in plants occurs everywhere on Earth, so its total effect is colossal. Every year, the Earth's plants produce about 177 billion tons of organic matter. Of these, 122 billion tons are terrestrial vegetation and 55 billion tons are vegetation of the World Ocean. The annual chemical energy of photosynthesis products is 100 times higher than the energy production of all power plants in the world. The carbon dioxide contained in the atmosphere would only last for 300 years if it were not released through the respiration of animals and plants.

During photosynthesis, another process that is most important for the biosphere occurs - photolysis of water. As a result, O 2 is released, which all living organisms breathe. All the oxygen in the atmosphere passes through living matter in about 2000 years. Plants use and decompose all the water on our planet within one million years.

Over billions of years, plants have synthesized a huge amount of organic substances, some of which have survived to this day in the form of deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, oil shale, and peat. The amount of carbon stored in coal and oil alone is approximately 50 times greater than that stored in all living organisms. It all shows. That photosynthesis is a great cosmic process that radically transforms the face of the planet.

The molecules of organic substances include atoms of nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus and other elements: magnesium, iron, copper, cobalt, etc. They are extracted by plants from soil solutions and are involved in the cycles of the most important chemical processes.

Mineral salts would inevitably be washed out from the surface layers of the soil, but plants constantly take some of the minerals from it, which then partially enter the bodies of animals. After the death of plants and animals, minerals return to the soil, from where they are again consumed by the plants. Thus, as a result of this small, or biological, cycle of substances, plants constantly maintain the presence of mineral salts in the soil, which is very important for its fertility. This indicates the enormous role of plants in the cycle of substances and energy flows in nature. Vegetation affects climate, soil, wildlife and other components of the biosphere, with which they are closely interconnected. Plants have a moderating effect on the climate; in particular, they supply more than 90% of the water evaporated by land into the atmosphere.

Vegetation is of great importance in human life. It creates what is necessary for the life of people and the animals they raise, serves as an inexhaustible source of various food products, technical and medicinal raw materials, building materials etc. Many types are used by humans in various technological processes.

The negative role of vegetation is the appearance of weeds on cultivated lands and pastures; overgrowing of water bodies, leading to summer fish kills in lakes; cases of harmful effects on humans and the national economy. However, the harmful effects of vegetation on humans are incomparable to its positive role. It is most often associated with the rational use of plants, ignorance of the patterns of development and relationships of plant communities, as well as the unpredictability of the possible consequences of human intervention.

Of all plant resources, forests are the most important in the life of nature and humans. They suffered the most from economic activity and were the first to become objects of protection.

Forest as the most important plant resource on the planet

Forests, including those planted by humans, cover about a third of the land surface. Their area is slightly more than 40 million square kilometers. This is a wide belt of taiga in the Northern Hemisphere, mixed and deciduous forests of the temperate zone, evergreen subtropical and tropical rainforests. Most of the forests are in the tropics; taiga and forest-tundra account for 32%, mixed and deciduous forests of the temperate zone - 17%. The planet has 30% coniferous and 70% deciduous forests.

Forest cover affects all components of the biosphere and plays a huge role environment-forming role. Forests influence the gas balance and composition of the atmosphere, the water and thermal regime of the earth's surface, underground and surface runoff, form and preserve soil cover, and regulate the number and diversity of the animal world. Forest cover is interconnected with climate: it reduces the force of wind, moderates high and low temperatures, and accumulates moisture. By ensuring the circulation of substances and energy flows, forests stabilize the dynamic balance in the biosphere. They form very productive plant formations. The share of forests in global photosynthetic productivity is estimated at 70 billion tons of dry organic matter per year, which is 65% of the annual biological production of land and 42% of the biosphere. Forest is widely used in various sectors of the national economy. No industry can develop without the use of forest materials. The forest serves as a source of various chemicals obtained from the processing of wood, bark, and pine needles. Over 15 – 20 thousand items and products can be made from this universal raw material. Almost half of all wood consumed in the world is currently used for fuel, and a third is used for the production of building materials.

The forest supplies technical and medicinal raw materials, food products etc.

In recent decades, increasing attention has been paid to the sanitary, hygienic, balneological and recreational role of forests. In some regions of the world, the non-raw material functions of forests have overshadowed the importance of forest areas as a logging base. In Russia, forests also began to be widely used as a non-raw material resource. These are green areas of cities, natural or National parks, resort areas. The beneficial effect of pine forests on tuberculosis patients, caused by the disinfecting properties of terpenes, is well known. Tree plantations in cities absorb excess carbon dioxide from the air and restore the oxygen necessary for life. They serve as a good filter - in parks the amount of dust is tens of times less than on city streets. The leaves and flowers of trees emit phytoncides, many of which neutralize city air and kill harmful microorganisms, delay the development of infectious agents, prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Green spaces absorb sounds well and help combat noise. The psychological impact of the forest on humans is invaluable.

Anthropogenic impact on the planet's forest resources and its consequences

Deforestation began at the dawn of human development and continues today. Trees are cut down and burned to generate heat and to clear areas for pastures and arable land. With the improvement of farming and crafts, forest began to be used not only as fuel, but also as a building and ornamental material. As human society developed and the need for timber and other forest products rapidly increased, so did exploitation. It achieved particular strength in the era of capitalism with its highly developed technology and private property on land. The world's forest resources suffered the most with the advent of the industrial and technological revolution. Over the past 10 thousand years, 2/3 of all forests on the globe have been cleared, including in the most populated regions. Over the course of historical time, a colossal area of 500 million hectares has been transformed from forests into barren deserts. The degree of forest cover reduction can be seen in the example of the river basin. Oskol.

A person consumes no more than 1% of the biological production of the biosphere per year. However, the volume of wood harvesting in some places has been brought to the maximum forest management capabilities. Forests are being destroyed so quickly that the clearing areas significantly exceed the planting areas. To date, in the zone of mixed and broad-leaved forests, up to 55% of their original area has been reduced, in the zone of Mediterranean subtropics - 80, monsoon forests - 90, and on the Great Chinese and Indo-Gangetic Plains less than 5% of forests remain. The areas of primary forests are rapidly declining in West Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central America; at a somewhat slower pace in Central Africa and the Amazon. In foreign Asia, 15 million hectares are cut down annually, in South America 10 million hectares. Tropical and monsoon forests are degrading and their area is shrinking. If in Thailand in the 1960s they occupied half of the total forest area, now they occupy less than a quarter. It is feared that at this rate they will disappear completely within the next century. Deforested areas of the jungle are not restored; in their place, unproductive shrub formations develop, and with severe erosion, desertification occurs.

Speaking about the fate of tropical forests, it should be noted that, according to experts, in areas with rapid deforestation rates, almost all primary forests will be changed beyond recognition in the coming decades. The transformation of all tropical forests with their modern use will be completed at the beginning of the 21st century. According to preliminary calculations, in the first decades of the 21st century, the total forest area will be reduced by 50% of its current state. The sharp decline on the planet has caused serious consequences: shallowing of rivers and lakes, destructive floods, soil erosion, mudflows, climate change.

The reduction in water flow in rivers and the drying out of lakes under the influence of forest cutting has been known for a long time. It is known that deforestation in Silicia and other Mediterranean countries has been sharply reduced; in order to properly conduct forestry, forests of national importance are divided into three groups. The first group includes green zones around cities and industrial centers, protected zones along rivers and around reservoirs, protective plantings along railways and highways, resort, field protection, memorial, forest reserves and wildlife sanctuaries. They make up 115.9 million hectares, or 15% of the country's forest area. Logging here is strictly regulated. Forests of the second group are located mainly in industrial and densely populated areas. Their area is 63.6 million hectares, or about 8%. Forests of the third group occupy 612.1 million hectares. have operational value. Their resources are used only on 46% of the area.

Recreational value of forests

The forest has always attracted hunters, mushroom pickers, and berry pickers. With the development of mass tourism, the number of forest visitors has increased many times, and the damage that humans cause to forests has become even more noticeable. Every year, millions of people flock to suburban forests for recreation. Hikers follow the same routes, turning previously untouched areas into well-defined trails. Recreational forests are cut through by a network of roads and trails. Careless tourists cut down young trees, damage old ones, trample undergrowth, destroy undergrowth and compact the soil, which disrupts its structure, reduces porosity, worsens the living conditions of microorganisms and soil fauna, and retards the growth and development of trees. Forests are littered with a variety of garbage, cans, bottles, rags, and paper. Forest vegetation does not regenerate well in areas of fire pits and in compacted areas of soil.

The damage caused to forests by tourism can be judged by the following indicators. On a sunny weekend, forests near Moscow are visited by up to 4 million vacationers. During the summer season, they cut down a forest with an area equal to a quarter of the tree stand of the Central Pork named after them. Gorky in Moscow. According to Moldovan experts, the total damage from logging by tourists and vacationers, poisoning of crops and hayfields in this republic is approximately 1.5 million rubles.

To streamline the use of recreational forests, maximum permissible norms of recreational load have been developed for various natural complexes. This prevents excessive concentration of vacationers in forest areas. Rules for the behavior of people in the forest have been established, and the amount of fines levied for damaging natural objects has been determined.

One of the important forms of struggle for the protection of recreational forests is a broad environmental propaganda. Tourist, trade union and other public organizations take part in it. A large role in organizing and coordinating this work belongs to rural, district and city administrations. Urban green spaces are of particular sanitary, hygienic and aesthetic importance. Much work on urban greening is carried out by specialists from public utilities and greening trusts. Public organizations, schools, vocational secondary schools take part in this work. educational establishments, out-of-school children's institutions. They plant trees, shrubs, flowers, and protect them from damage and trampling. Over the past 50 years, ornamental trees and shrubs have been planted in cities and towns across the country, alleys have been created, boulevards and courtyards have been landscaped, parks have been laid out, green areas around cities have been organized, etc. Targeted further landscaping is needed.

Rational use, reproduction and protection of forests in Russia

The main task of forest protection is their rational use and reproduction. The priority measures to achieve this task include: scientifically based calculation and distribution of the logging fund, economical use of wood, reproduction and increase in forest productivity, protection from fires, pests and other adverse factors.

Distribution of logging fund and rationing of fellings. With proper forestry management, felling in certain areas should be repeated after 80-100 years, when the forest reaches full maturity. Less than 1/4 of the estimated logging area is harvested. The situation is successful only in the forests of the third group. As for the forests of the central, southern and western regions of Russia, they have become greatly impoverished as a result of excessive cutting. Deforestation, in excess of the estimated cutting area, unfortunately continues in the densely populated central, western and southern regions of the European part of Russia. A significant excess of cuttings over growth has led to the fact that forests over large areas have lost their climate and water-regulating significance.

All of the above allows us to conclude that strict scientific regulation is important for forest protection.

Much work has been done to relocate logging operations to the eastern, forest-rich regions of our country, but there are more factories and wood processing plants in the European part of Russia. Difficulties arise in transporting and processing wood to processing sites. The timber processing industry has not kept pace with the growth in logging, and this creates a gap between the volume of timber harvested and its use within the forest area.

Improper exploitation of forests for a long time has led to the fact that in the European part of Russia the share of small-leaved plantations has increased due to a decrease in the share of coniferous trees, and secondary forests amount to about 40 million hectares. Over-cutting leads to a significant reduction in the stock of mature stands, therefore, in order to properly distribute the logging fund, scientifically based cutting standards are established for each region. They take into account the diverse significance of forests and the actual possibility of their development. The cutting of immature forests, which reduces the yield of wood, and the overgrowth of forests are unacceptable. Overmature forests are a source of pests and diseases that reduce the quality of wood.

Combating wood loss. Of no small importance in preserving forests is their careful use. Unfortunately, wood losses during harvesting, transportation and use reach such proportions that no other industry allows for its raw materials. The greatest losses occur during timber harvesting. At the felling sites, many branches and needles remain, which can be used to prepare pine flour - the basis of vitamin and protein concentrates for farm animals. In addition to pine flour, essential oils are obtained from waste.

A lot of wood is lost as a result of under-cutting during conventional clear-cutting. At the same time, the logging fund is not fully used: diseased trees and low-value deciduous species are preserved in the logging areas, littering the forest, contributing to the change of vegetation and the proliferation of pests.

Every year, several million cubic meters of wood are lost from timber rafting. Sunken logs accumulate in river beds, obstruct navigation and damage fisheries. Irrational mole rafting (without combining into rafts) is prohibited.

Fighting forest fires. Forest fires cause enormous damage to forest resources, completely or partially destroying the forest biocenosis. A forest damaged by fire loses its security, protective and other beneficial features. As a result, there is a massive proliferation of harmful insects, and the forest is affected by fungal diseases. In forest burnt areas, as after logging, a different type of vegetation develops, which leads to a change in fauna. In a damaged forest, hunting and commercial fauna and forest by-products are suppressed.

The main cause of forest fires is human carelessness with fire. Fires are caused by agricultural burning, flames from the exhaust pipes of tractors and cars, and fire cleaning of cutting areas. According to world statistics, 97% of forest fires are caused by people.

The fight against fires in Russia is given great national importance. A system of measures has been developed, which is divided into three groups: warning, sentry service and fire fighting. TO preventive measures include fire-fighting technical propaganda among the population, cleaning of cutting areas, prevention and elimination of forest litter, and fire-fighting equipment in forests. Firebreaks and roads of fire significance are created, strips and ditches are plowed.

Sentinel service necessary for timely detection of fires. She is engaged in regular walks of the forest, observations from fire towers, airplanes and helicopters, which is especially important in sparsely populated areas.

Direct fire fighting carried out using various methods. The use of modern technology has significantly increased its efficiency. To extinguish fires, firefighting aircraft, paratroopers-firefighters, and brigades organized from the local population are used. In a number of forest areas, fire stations with special vehicles and technical equipment have been created.

Protection of plant meadows and pastures

Meadows and pastures are of great importance in providing feed for farm animals. Natural meadow grasses are the most complete food, rich in vitamins, microelements and mineral salts. The area of meadows and pastures in the USSR was 74.6 million hectares. The areas of meadows in the forest zone are especially large in areas of clearings, burnt areas, former arable lands and in river floodplains.

About 60% of plant species grow in meadows and pastures. The leading place is occupied by cereals and asteraceae (up to 35% of the total plant mass).

According to the Botanical Institute of the USSR, the yield of hayfields (without tundra and forest-tundra) is 12.4 c/ha, pastures - 4.2 c/ha in terms of air-dry mass. On hayfields, 614 million centners are harvested, on pastures - 1360, and in total - 1974 million centners of dry mass eaten by domestic animals. This is not enough, and further measures are needed to improve hayfields and pastures and their rational use.

The following measures are recommended to improve meadows and pastures: 1) clearing and leveling the surface (clearing bushes, stones, debris, dead wood, destroying hummocks); 2)improving the regulation of soil water regime; 3) preservation (if necessary and creation) of coastal strips of bushes in the floodplains of large rivers; 4) fight with poisonous plants; 5) introducing organic and mineral fertilizers; 6) sometimes sowing herbs.

In increasing the productivity of meadows best results provides alternating hay-pasture use. However, early spring grazing followed by haymaking reduces the harvest of meadows by half.

Lichen pastures (resin moss) are important for reindeer husbandry. Lichens are a necessary plant component for maintaining the natural biocenoses of the tundra. The impoverishment of the tundra as a result of overgrazing by animals changes the nature of vegetation and deteriorates the quality of pastures. Damage to tundra grass is caused by rodents in the year of mass reproduction.

In order to maintain and increase the productivity of natural vegetation, grazing should be regulated taking into account the timing of grass development and the condition of pastures. Thus, the protection of pastures is the elimination of overgrazing of animals and the implementation of agricultural measures to improve grass stand and increase plant productivity.

Protection of economically valuable and rare plant species

Of the 5,000 thousand species of higher plants, humans use a small part - only 2,500 species. Of the approximately 17.5 thousand species of wild higher plants, only 250 are used for economic purposes. Of the world fund of higher plants, about 1,500 thousand species are used for medicinal purposes. Their harvesting annually amounts to about 20,000 tons. Great importance For industry there are wild-growing tanning, essential oil, dyeing and other useful plants. Many species are used as ornamental plants, honey plants. As a result of intensive collection, stocks of some economically valuable plant species are depleted.

The protection and rational use of economically valuable species consists of correct, standardized collection, eliminating the possibility of depletion. Currently, many organizations are collecting raw materials, which requires establishing control over the number of plants collected.

Under direct or indirect human influence, many plant species have become rare or disappearing. Such species are included in the red books. The inclusion of a species in these books serves as a signal that it is in danger and special measures to protect it are necessary. Among the species listed in the Red Book of Russia are water chestnut, lotus, aldrovanda, ironwood, chestnut oak, Colchian boxwood, Pitsunda pine, berry holly, etc.

The protection of rare and endangered species is carried out in several ways. The first way is a complete ban on these types of litter; the second is the protection of rare species in nature reserves and sanctuaries; the third is the creation of collection areas and reserves in botanical gardens and other scientific institutions. In collection areas, plants are preserved for a long time and serve as a reserve for their restoration in nature.

The success of vegetation protection largely depends on the participation of a wide range of people in this matter. Environmental education, in particular propaganda, is becoming important scientific knowledge about flora and its significance for humans. The role of environmental education and youth education is great.

Legal protection of vegetation

Protection, control, regulation of the use of flora objects in Russian Federation carried out by federal executive authorities - the State Committee of the Russian Federation for the Protection of the Environment and Natural Resources (until May 2000), the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Russian Federation, federal Service forestry of Russia and executive authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation.

Although vegetable world has a dominant influence on the formation of biogeocenoses; to date, full-scale accounting, protection and regulation of the use of plant resources have not been organized. Since work on the registration and protection of flora is supervised by various line ministries and departments, information about its real state is fragmentary and incomplete, and the problem of preserving natural vegetation remains very relevant.

Forests need special care. In accordance with the Forest Code (1997), the legal framework for the rational use, protection, protection and reproduction of forests, increasing their resource and environmental potential is established.

Of fundamental importance for the protection of forests is their division into categories and groups according to the degree of protection.

Forbidden stripes along the banks of rivers, lakes, reservoirs and other water bodies;

Forbidden strips of forests protecting the spawning grounds of valuable commercial fish;

Anti-erosion forests;

Protective forest belts along railways and roads;

Forests of green areas of cities, other settlements and economic facilities;

Forests of the first and second zones of sanitary protection zones of water supply sources;

Forests of the first, second and third zones of resort sanitary protection districts

Particularly valuable forest areas;

Forests of scientific or historical significance;

Walnut production zones, forest fruit plantations, etc.;

Forests of nature reserves, national and natural parks, protected and forest areas, etc.

In addition, in forests of all groups, special protective areas with a limited regime of forest use can be allocated, including bank and soil protection forest areas along the banks of water bodies, slopes of ravines and ravines, habitats of rare and endangered wild animals and plants, etc.

Due to the expansion and deepening of anthropogenic transformation of natural landscapes, the number of rare and endangered plant species is increasing. As of November 1, 1997, the Red Book of the Russian Federation included 553 species of plants: 440 species of flowering plants, 11 species of gymnosperms, 11 species of ferns, 22 species of bryophytes, 4 species of lycophytes, 29 species of lichens, 17 species of fungi.

It is necessary to rationally use non-timber plant resources in the forest fund. Although individual objects are of particular value and are actively exploited, the main potential of non-woody plant resources in Russian forests is not involved in economic use and the volume of harvesting of non-woody vegetation is less than 1% of the available reserves.

Plants are widespread on Earth. They are found in the vast majority of places suitable for life.

Moreover, each habitat and climate zone is characterized by its own vegetation. Plants need liquid water, so there are many of them where there is sufficient rainfall and no frost. all year round. Forests and meadows form in such climatic zones. In drier places we find steppes. But even in deserts and permafrost, some plants grow.

Man grows many types of plants for his needs, including those brought from distant habitats. Cultivated plants grow in fields, gardens, and greenhouses, where conditions are created under which plants can grow and bear fruit all year round. Man grows many ornamental plants.

In nature, plants play a very important role, because thanks to them, animal life is possible.

Firstly, plants produce organic substances from inorganic . Animals do not know how to do this; they have to eat ready-made organic substances, that is, eat plants or other animals that feed on vegetation. Without plants, animals would starve to death. First, plants synthesize the organic substance glucose, then it is converted into other organic substances, mainly starch. To synthesize glucose, plants need mainly two inorganic substances - water and carbon dioxide. Plants absorb water mostly from the soil, and absorb carbon dioxide from the air. To synthesize organic matter, plants need energy. They receive it from the rays of the Sun. The process of such synthesis is called photosynthesis.

As you know, carbon dioxide is released during respiration. If it were not absorbed by plants, it would accumulate in the atmosphere. This would lead to disastrous consequences (breathing problems in animals, the greenhouse effect). Therefore, the second important meaning of plants is carbon dioxide absorption .

During the process of photosynthesis, a by-product is released - oxygen. It is oxygen that all living organisms breathe (they absorb it from the atmosphere). Therefore, the third important significance of plants in nature is enrichment of the atmosphere with oxygen.

The role of plants in human life is also great. People use them for food, feed them to pets, build houses, furniture and many other things from plants. Paper and various substances (fabrics, medicines, etc.) are obtained from plants. Plants are used as fuel. In this case, not only wood is used, but also peat and coal, which are the remains of ancient plants. We can say that nature, over its long path of development, has managed to create an energy reserve for humans. Thanks to this stored energy, human society has a chance for rapid development.

The human diet contains different plants. Some have edible fruits, others have seeds, others have green parts, and many have underground parts (tubers, roots, etc.).

People process plants and obtain many food products from them: flour, cereals, sugar and more.

The aesthetic role of plants is great. Many of them produce beautiful flowers, while others are grown as houseplants.

Unfortunately, human influence on the plant world is largely negative. Due to economic activities, many plant species have disappeared, and others are under threat of extinction. Often people change the habitats of plants, as a result they can no longer grow.