Plants

PLANTS
FACTS ABOUT PLANTS

• Plants, broadly defined, are multicellular organisms that
undergo photosynthesis, the process of converting sunlight
into energy. Trees, in this regard, are classified as plants.
However, this profile focuses on non-tree species. To learn
more about the endangerment that trees face, check out
our trees specific profile.
• Plants are one of Earth’s most essential species. Every living
thing - either indirectly or directly - is supported by plants.149
• The contributions of plants are numerous, from the food we
eat to the medicines we use and the oxygen we breathe.150
• There are over 390,000 known different species of plants,151 with 2,000 new species discovered
annually.152
• Around 8,800 different plant species are threatened with extinction, according to the International
Union for Conservation of Nature.153
• Plants come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors. For example, the largest flowering plant in the
world is the Rafflesia Arnoldi, which measures up to one meter in diameter!154
WHY WE NEED TO PROTECT PLANTS

Role in the Ecosystem: Plant species form the basis of almost
all ecosystems. Beginning with photosynthesis, a by-product of
which is fresh oxygen, plants then go on to act as a source of food
for several other species.155
Ecosystem Services: Plants provide several provisional and cul-

tural services. Provisionally, various species provide a substantive
amount of the world’s food, such as fruits, nuts, and agricultural
Protect Our Species Primer and Action Toolkit
crops. Additionally, many plants are central ingredients in herbal
and pharmaceutical medicines. Culturally, plants have been used
as therapeutic outlets, an inspiration for the arts, and religious and
spiritual ceremonies.156
Economic Contribution: Plants are an extremely valuable

economic commodity. In 2017, for instance, the United States
exported plant-based agricultural products totaling $138 billion.157
What is more, the Netherlands alone exported $9.4 billion worth
of plants and flowers in 2016.158
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Uniqueness: Plants are unquestionably some of the world’s most visually stunning and captivating
species. But plants mean so much more than just their visual beauty. Each of us can associate a happy
or meaningful memory with a plant from the joy of giving a loved one a bouquet of flowers to fresh
garden air. We owe it to not only ourselves but to plants themselves to ensure their protection.159
THREATS TO PLANTS
Climate Change: The threat of climate change reverberates
around the world and adversely damages the survival of
all plant species. Specifically, the primary consequences of
climate change include increased global temperatures that
affect the distribution of certain species, increased droughts
that lessen the availability of fertile soil for plants to use, and
rising sea levels that threaten coastal plants.160 Most concern-
ing, climate change threatens to reduce global crop produc-
tion by 23% in the coming decades.161
Habitat Loss: The threat of habitat loss comes in many forms - from urban and agricultural develop-
ment to destructive fires - and is estimated to be the primary threat for 83% of endangered plant spe-
cies.162 Unlike animals, plants cannot easily move or adapt to their habitat when threatened. Because
of this, habitat destruction intensifies the number of extinctions, severely limiting the prospect of
future recovery for the ecosystem.163
Invasive Species: Non-native species, known as alien or invasive species, can be introduced to an
ecosystem intentionally or unintentionally, but the result is almost always the same: the new species
will erode and weaken the health of the entire plant ecosystem. Through competition for scarce
resources and altering the physical environment, invasive species can accelerate the decline of native
plant species.164
Pollution: The threat of pollution can originate from various sources and affect the health of plants
both above and below ground. As a direct threat, both pesticides and insecticides can harm the
survival of plants by killing either the plants themselves or the pollinators that plants depend on to
reproduce. Indirectly, the contamination of soil by hazardous pollutants can greatly harm the health
of plants and the ecosystems they support.165
Crop Patents Threatening Biodiversity: Within the last few years, legal rulings in North America and
the EU have allowed genetically modified plants to be patented. Although food patents themselves
are not new, the extension of these patent rights discourages biodiversity by regulating the available
plant species to cross-breed.166
HOW TO HELP PLANTS Protect Our Species Primer and Action Toolkit
• Support Native Plants: There are many benefits to cultivating native plant species, as they are best
adapted to their local environment. From requiring less water to improving air quality, growing
native plants is a significant and cost-effective action we all can do to help.167
• Support a ban on the use of pesticides, especially neonicotinoid pesticides.
• Purchase Sustainable Plant Products: Being an informed consumer – knowing the process of how
your plant products got to you – is an important first step in preventing damage being done to the
biodiversity of plants. When purchasing plant-based products, such as teas, herbal medicines, or
beauty products, make sure they have a sustainable certification logo to reduce the likelihood of
further plant extinction.
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
ARTICLES/BLOGS/READINGS
As Climate Warms, Plants Will Absorb Less CO₂, Study Finds – New York Times
https://nyti.ms/2VhShP5
In a study recently published in the journal Nature, researchers found that under a warming climate,
rather than absorbing more greenhouse gas emissions, plants and soil may start absorbing less,
accelerating the rate of change.
VIDEOS
Taking on Hawaii’s Plant Extinction Crisis – Great Big Story

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFAQeyUfiAc
For the past 45 years, Steve Perlman has dedicated himself to saving Hawaii’s dying species of plant
life. As a field botanist for the Plant Extinction Prevention Program, Perlman focuses on cultivating
rare plants in the wild, often navigating uncharted territory to locate the last survivors.
STORYTELLING
Ted-Ed: The Amazing Ways Plants Defend Themselves – Valentin Hammoudi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hja0SLs2kus
Plants are constantly under attack. They face threats ranging from microscopic fungi to small herbi-
vores like caterpillars, up to large herbivores like elephants. But plants are ready, with a whole series
of internal and external defenses that make them a less appealing meal — or even a deadly one.
Valentin Hammoudi explains some of the fascinating ways that plants defend themselves.
OTHERS WORKING ON THIS ISSUE
The Nature Conservancy

https://www.nature.org
Since 1951, The Nature Conservancy has worked to protect the lands and waters on which all life
depends, especially plant species globally.
REPORTS
Protect Our Species Primer and Action Toolkit
State of the World’s Plants – Kew Royal Botanical Gardens

https://stateoftheworldsplants.org/2017/report/SOTWP_2017.pdf
Information is now also emerging on the effectiveness of conservation actions and policies in pro-
tecting some of the most important plant species and communities across the globe. While there
is still much more to do, these positive outcomes demonstrate that with scientific knowledge and
evidence-based global actions, it is possible to conserve the extraordinary diversity of plants on Earth
and to build on the unique combination of beauty and science which can together provide some of
the solutions for the global challenges facing humanity today.
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PLANTS

FACTS ABOUT PLANTS

WHY WE NEED TO PROTECT PLANTS

Ecosystem Services: Plants provide several provisional and cul-

Economic Contribution: Plants are an extremely valuable

EARTH DAY NETWORK

EARTH DAY NETWORK

Taking on Hawaii’s Plant Extinction Crisis – Great Big Story

Ted-Ed: The Amazing Ways Plants Defend Themselves – Valentin Hammoudi

OTHERS WORKING ON THIS ISSUE

The Nature Conservancy

State of the World’s Plants – Kew Royal Botanical Gardens

EARTH DAY NETWORK

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