§ 50. How people use plants

What kind of plants do you need mechanical fabrics? In which organs of the plant are created stocks nutrients?
What happens during the year with tubers, bulbs and rhizomes?
Under what circumstances are the nutrients from different organs of the plant spent? How do grain stored, apples, carrots, cabbage?

Lena: People learned how to make artificial matter. It comes out, the plants are now not very necessary for us.
Biologist: Whatever synthetic materials people have learned to do, they will always be required to be demanded, and without vegetable food from carbohydrates and fats, we are unlikely to learn how to do. Yes, and oxygen on Earth we provide plants.

Seeds - a concentrate of nutrients in reliable packaging
Seeds should be light, but with a large margin of all necessary nutrients. Therefore, in mature seeds, there is little water, but there are a variety of nutrients - fats, proteins, starch. Seeds of some plants contain more proteins (peas, beans, beans, soybeans), other fat (sunflower, flax, mustard), third - carbohydrates (Fig). Seeds of many plants contain many and proteins, and carbohydrates (buckwheat, oats, wheat). Seeds are adapted to storage, and people are easiest to save the seeds for a long time.

100 grams of seeds contain:

Underground authorities - canned matter with a shelf life of the school year
Autumn and winter underground shoots and roots are experiencing underground, and the spring consumes nutrients on the rapid formation of new shoots and colors.
Potatoes, carrots, beets, radish, onion And garlic in a dry, cool and dark place, squeezing, in boxes or in sand, retain nutrients to spring, and then begin to germinate - therefore, unlike seeds, it is impossible to store them for several years.

Different fruits in natural conditions are preserved during different timing
In the resettlement of plants, the fruits participate in different ways. Some fall immediately after ripening, others dry out on the branches and long attract animals. People remove the varieties of plants with. Increased shelf life of fruits and create special storage conditions. Often, people collect the fruit misunderstanding - such fruits are preserved longer, but they do not have such a strong aroma.

Edible leaves usually do not lie for a long time
People use the plates and cutters of the leaves of many plants - lettuce, onions, parsley, cabbage, rhubarb. The cell walls man does not digest, there are no spare substances in the leaves of greenery, and the person absorbs only the substances of the cytoplasm of living cells.
Over the rare exception, the leaves are not intended for the storage of nutrients; The leaves are actively working organs that are quickly wound after cutting. Only the leaves of cultural varieties of the cooked cabbage are preserved in the cellars until spring.

Sometimes in food goes and flowers of plants
In ripening flowers there are a powerful flow of nutrients, and it would seem that the inflorescences should be one of the products of agriculture - however, in addition to the misfirement of cauliflower inflorescences in Russia, no flowers in food are used.

Wood - Material for construction
The main purpose of wood in the plant to serve as a support. In this appointment, the wood uses people.
The xylems impregnated with lignin cells are not inferior to steel. The combination of tubes and fibers in the wood makes it durable, lightweight, elastic material. In the world, hundreds of wood varieties are used, differing by the specific weight, the ability to skip heat.
Unfortunately, the considerable part of the trees conceded on all continents burned in the furnaces, heating the dwelling or heating food.

Paper - Material from cell walls
Cellulose fibers make paper, cardboard, wood and local plates. These fibers in the old days were obtained only from dilapidated fabrics, and now - mainly of the trees. In principle, paper can be made from any plants, separating pulp from other substances and bleaching it. But the best raw materials for this are the long fades of conifers.

Lob - fiber source
Many plants contain long subtle cells - support (luban) fibers. With the help of bacteria, people free these fibers from other cells and coming threads from them. In Russia, the main source of such fibers is flax; Previously, the threads were also made of cannabis and nettle.

Cork tissue - valuable technical material
In the crust of many trees there is a cork tissue - loose fabric of cells with walls impregnated with water repellent substance.
In the inhabitant of the zone of subtropics - cork oak - the layers of cork tissue with a thickness of several centimeters grow up. Such a layer of cork saves a tree from a fire, as the plug does not burn and does not heat well. This fabric can be cut off without harm to the tree. From the tube make plots for bottles and facing tiles are lightweight, elastic, non-transmitting water and air.

Substances that plants love pollinators or scare enemies, people use as spices or medicines
Many plants contain poisonous substances for insects or mushrooms - bitter, with strong odor or tasteless. In the flowers of many insectopillary plants, fragrant substances attracting pollinkers are contained. The value of these substances for a person is greater than the food. From these substances, people make medicines, perfume and insecticides (substances that destroy insects in the fields and in housing).

Nectar and medical
Nectar colors people cannot be collected, but bees are coping with this work. They not only collect nectar, but also thicken it and are subject to special processing, resulting in unusually useful product - Honey.

There are five main areas where people directly or indirectly use plants:

• as food;
• source of raw materials for industry;
• as medicinal products;
• with decorative goals;
• to save and improve ambient. Consider each of them separately.

Let's start S. nutrition. Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are the three most important groups of substances that need a person to build their body and ensure its livelihoods. Throughout life, a person processes a huge amount of substances - more than 1000 times the mass of his body. Having absorbing substances, he processes them within his body, takes energy from them and then partially allocates them again, but already in a variable form.

The overall need for food products is directly or indirectly provided by plants: directly by drinking plants themselves or plant products, and indirectly through animals, which in the end are also powered by plants. The ratio of vegetable and animal food in the human nutrition is very different and depends on both its capabilities and from the prevailing traditions.

For the first time, the conscious attitude of a person to the plants appeared, no doubt that he began to collect them to eat. Fruits and seeds, tubers and roots, young shoots and even whole plants accounted for a significant part of the first people's diet. At the same time it was necessary to distinguish edible plants from inedible and poisonous. So very quickly there was a direct and close relationship of people with plants, which was fixed as knowledge accumulates about different types of plants, as well as in the invention of methods for producing fire and related treatment of plants collected and improving their food qualities.

When and where the person came to the conscious cultivation of plants, was not clarified, and it is unlikely to ever be clarified. Determined only that it has already been purposefully cultivated by plants for a long time. The most ancient traces of this number are 10,000 years old, that is, they rise to those far times when people in some territories moved to a settled lifestyle.

The most important modern cultural plants are starchy, and among them primarily representatives of the family of cereals: wheat, rice, corn, barley, oats and rye. On the use of a person in the first place, undoubtedly, there is a wheat. Slightly inferior wheat rice.

The third is a very widespread grain culture - corn, which in most part goes to the feed cattle.

Representatives of other families include starchy plants, except for cereals, among them are primarily potatoes.

The following important starchy plant is a banana. Especially rich in starch fruits of milder banana. They are boiled, fried and baked, get brown flour from it, which finds the most diverse use.

In addition to starch, a person uses sugar as one of the most important carbohydrates. But the number of sugar-free plants in comparison with the starchy relatively small, and only two of them are sugar cane and sugar beets - are of great importance.

Squirrels, in contrast to carbohydrates, a person receives mainly from animal food. Of course, many food plants contain proteins, but in fact, only seeds of legume plants are currently important as a source of vegetable proteins used by man.

This is the case with fats, since a significant part of them gives a plant to a plant. These are plants like rape, surepitsa, poppy, sunflower and others. All these plants are contained in fruits or seeds.

However, carbohydrates, proteins and fats of purely plant origin are only part of the main diet of a person. The other, no less important part of a person receives from plants through animals.

A person receives from plants not only rich in energy substances, but also vitamins. We can attribute almost all fruit and vegetable plants to vitamination plants.

A significant role in our nutrition is played by spices and spices, all, with the exception of the cooking salts having plant origins. The main part of the spicy substances of spicy plants refers to a large group of essential oils, which are formed by plants in special cells or stand out in special containers located inside the tissues, and later when the bodies of the plant are coming through the glands or glandular cells. We are talking about easily evaporating, pleasant smelling liquids, which are a mixture of alcohols, coal acids, esters and other substances. The taste also depends on organic acids playing important role In the exchange of substances.

From secondary vegetable substances, the valuable properties of cultural plants of another group - plants containing excitation substances are dependent. The most important of them are coffee, tea, cocoa and tobacco.

However, plants are used by a person not only as food and excitation; An important role of the plant and the products received from them are played in other areas everyday life man. Plants are often used like raw materials or source material for its preparation. Wood, cotton, jute and other fibers, as well as produced from plant cellulose, rubber, vegetable fats and oils, dyes and tanning substances are still necessary for many industries national economy. Wood man uses for a long time; It was the first fuel, and in a number of regions and the first building material.

Linen - One of the most famous cultivated plants. For this, it serves as the main raw material for the release of fabrics, which, for example, on bed and table linen.

Hemp - Ancient fibrous plant. From its relatively thick and brittle fibers now make mainly ropes, sails, thick threads, etc., even more rude fiber gives jute. Almost all Jute goes to the production of burlap.

However, the most important role in the global economy plays cotton - Fibrous plant.

Plant fibers consist of almost pure cellulose, and vegetable cellulose is the main raw material for the manufacture of so many products, of which it is enough to call only paper, cardboard, artificial silk, viscose, artificial wool, varnishes. The initial raw material for cellulose is mainly wood, but sometimes reeds and straw are used.

Another important for industry of plant vegetable origin - natural rubberAlthough today it is no longer important as before.

Tubils that are part of some plants are bitterly and are widely used in the food industry, since along with other substances determine the taste qualities of many fruits exciting products and food.

Tubils are in the fruits of lingers and blueberries; They give them an astringent taste. Tubils are contained in the leaves of a tea bush; They are rich and seeds of coffee tree. Especially many these substances in the crust and sound wood of some trees. The presence of tubyl acids often protect these fabrics from damage to microorganisms, makes them more resistant.

Economic use is also found by many other plant substances. True, as a result of the development of chemistry, the importance of some of them decreased, and others now do not apply in general, as, for example, many dyes of plant origin.

As medicinal products Plants still play an important role. Information about the healing action of plants persisted of different nations Many centuries. Now known substances contained in many plants, and we know what action they have on the human body. But in folk medicine there are also many false, mystical and superstitious ideas. To some extent, this attitude has been preserved now.

However, plants are not only used for nutrition, for economic and medical purposes, they, in addition, decorate our life and improve the human environment natural environment, being its constant component.

In the daily life of people, the flowers have always played and play a big role. As a sign of attention to a friend and a comrade, as a gift to your beloved woman, as the last bow left from life - Flowers are never forgotten. They give the comfort of our dwelling and workplace, they decorate parks and gardens. Thousands of species and varieties of decorative plants testify about their roles in our lives. Beautiful not only decorative plants. Even microscopically small plants may not pay attention to the peculiar form.

The vegetable world, undoubtedly, the main component of the biosphere, actually, and the resulting thing only when plant organisms appeared capable of converting sunny energy and carry out the synthesis of the bioorganic substance on Earth. Since then, the total balance of substances and energy is in close dependence on the state of the vegetation cover of individual areas and the planet as a whole.

The man has long been used by a significant number of wild plants. They delivered him firewood for fires; served as material for the construction of dwellings and animal pens; From plants, man made a fishing tackle and guns for hunting; built boats and rafts, film mats and baskets, prepared various household and ritual ornaments; Fed the plants of animals and birds, digged roots and harvested fruits to get food and drugs. The man was hidden in forests from bad weather, hid from enemies and predatory animals. In a word, the whole life of a primitive man was associated with plants. And the more diverse the world of plants surrounded by man was, the wider he used herbal wealth for his needs.

Subsequently, when a person began to grow some of his dwellings some of the plants useful to him, that is, he began to engage in agriculture, he laid the foundations of crop production, although he continued to use the gifts of wildlife.

Currently, humanity continues to use plants wide for their needs. At the same time, natural vegetation cover gradually changes. Forest area decreases, unplaced spaces increase, and some plants disappear and are not restored, sometime widespread on Earth. Although this process of destruction of initial natural vegetation is gradually progressing, nevertheless there are still many species of plants, continuing to maintain a lot of economic importance for people's lives.

On the globe grows about 300 - 500 thousand higher plants and many lowest. From this number in crop practice, a person uses over 2500 species of higher plants. However, as noted by N. I. Vavilov, only about 1000 species occupies 99% of the entire processed territory.

With the development of agriculture area, occupied by cultural (and domesticated) plants, grow continuously. However, the global fund of cultivated plants remains permanent. In addition to cultural plants, a person uses a lot of wild, mainly woody, plants, as well as a variety of perennial herbaceous species. A significant number of wild plants found in forests or inhabitants on flamespaces (in tundra, meadows, steppes, prairies, savannas), man applies for other purposes. He uses juicy fruits And nuts for food products, extracts essential oils and a variety of fragrant substances, gets a coarse and thin fiber of leaves and stems, produces a range for rubber production, gum and resins, collects raw materials serving for various medicinal substances.

The richest useful plants of the country with a tropical climate. The least increases them from the extreme limits of the continents adjacent to the Poles of the Earth: there are only 400 - 450 species here. The entire floral cover of our planet can be divided into areas covered with forests, and flavored spaces. Forests on the globe, occupying over 4000 million hectares and focused mainly in the northern hemisphere, possess the greatest number useful plants (Map 5).

A significant number of types of plants used by the person lives in dry (flavored) territories: in steppes and prairies, savannahs and semi-deserts, as well as in thickets of various shrubs. Blendous spaces are also peculiar to the Arctic tundra and highlands. And here is different kinds Useful plants that are practical application in a person's life (Map 6).

Depending on how wild beneficial plants are used, they can be divided into the following main groups:

1) plants giving wood (firewood, lumber, fastening forest, pillars, sleepers, piles, plywood, wood chips, etc.);

2) plants serving to obtain a variety of substances used in various industries and medicine;

3) plants used to obtain fresh and canned foods;

4) plants giving fresh and recycled green mass used on animal feed;

5) plants consumed for decorative and vocabulary, as well as to create protective coatings soil;

6) Plants that are comprehensive use depending on the properties and features inherent in them.

Different plants are used either entirely, or parts: tree trunks and shrubs and their bark, roots and rhizomes, tubers and bulbs, stems and leaves, flowers and inflorescences, fruits and seeds, galls on the leaves and springs on the trunks (kapa), pollen and Disputes, juice and various discharges (spots of resins, gum, etc.). All areas of application of plants are listed very difficult, however, we can talk about the plants of medicinal and technical, food and feed, rubber and hummous, mucusing and gone, oily-free and ether solid, tanning and dubber, fibrous and wicker, and so on.

Many areas of plant use over time and in connection with the development of equipment and industry gradually change or lose their meaning. For example, due to the receipt of many cheaper synthetic materials (artificial rubber, synthetic resins, artificial fiber, etc.), part of the beneficial plants either ceased to wonder the person or received a new application.

Among wild beneficial plants of the world are the greatest value of various woody rocks (cards 7 and 8), whose wood is used in all increasing sizes in many industries. The countries of the northern hemisphere produce predominantly harvesting of wood coniferous, and southern-hardwood.

Coniferous rocks (Map 9), which has the greatest economic importance, relate a variety of types of firings, often forming forests. This is a spike ere (Picea Abies), common in Scandinavia, Northern Europe, the European part of the USSR and Siberia; Spruce Sitchinskaya (P. Sitchensis), found in Canada and the United States (in Alaska); Spirit white (P. canadensis) and a red spruce (P. Rubra), characteristic of Canada and the USA; Fir black (P. Mariana), available on Alaska. Pines take second place. It is necessary to note the ordinary pine (Pinus Sylvestris), common in the north of Western Europe, in the European part of the USSR and Siberia; Banxiana pine (P. Banksiana), forming forests in Canada and USA; Yellow's pine (P. ponderosa), typical of the United States; Pine cedar (P. sibirica), which is the basis of the so-called cedaras of Siberia, and others.

For wood various destination The types of larch (Map 10) are used: European Decidua larch (Larix Decidua), the area of \u200b\u200bwhich is in Europe; American larch (L. Americana), inhabiting Canada and USA; Larch Sibirskaya (L. Sibirica), common mainly in Siberia; Larch Daurica (L. Daurica) and other types of this kind. Some economic significance also have types of fir: balsamic fir (Abies Balsamea), growing in Canada; Siberian Fir (A. Sibirica), forming forests in Siberia, in Altai and in Sayanov, as well as other types.

From other conifers can be noted Western, or Hemlock (Tsuga Heterophylla), Canadian TsUG (T. Canadensis), Mountain TsUG (T. MERTENSIANA), common in Canada and USA (in Alaska); Pseudotsugu tisifolia (Pseudotsuga TaxiFolia), characteristic of Canada and the USA; Sequoia Sempervirens (Sequoia Sempervirens), presented in the United States, and Nootkaensis CHAMAECYPARIS (CHAMAECYPARIS), found in Canada. From conifer, whose distribution areas are located south, you can specify a number of pines forming forests in the south of Central America (Pinus Palustris, P. Virginiana), in Southern Europe (P. Cembra, P. Pinaster, P. Pinea, etc.), and Also found in Cuba (P. Caribaea), in Malaya Asia (P. halepensis) and others.

Economic importance is also Nordmann's Fir (Abies Nordmanniana), inhabiting in the Caucasus; Lebanese cedar (Cedrus Libani) forms forests in the mountains of Lebanon; Himalayan cedar (S. Deodara), characteristic of Himalayas; Kunninghamia Lancing (Cunninghamia Lanceolata), found in East Asia; Types of Archie (Juniperus) forming predominantly rascal forests in the Caucasus, southern Europe and in the countries of Central and Front Asia, as well as many other tree breeds.

As well as coniferous rocks Practically valuable wood give a variety of deciduous rocks. These are suppliers of soft and solid, painted and colored, severe and light wood.

From deciduous wood plantshaving the greatest value, we note a variety of oak types: Cherched oak (QUERCUS ROBUR), characteristic of Europe (Map 11); Oak Red (Q. Rubra), found in the USA; Oak white (Q. Alba) and oak chestnut (Q. Prinos) common in the US; Oak Chestnut-Lisate (Q. Castaneifolia), inhabitants in the mountains of Talysh (South Transcaucasia) and on the slopes of Elbs (Iran); Oak Georgian (Q. IBERICA), characteristic of Transcaucasia, and many other species of this kind.

Besides oaks, practical value They have types of beech (Fagus), ash (Fraxinus), linden (TILIA), maple (Acer), birch (Betula), etc.

In world trade, a variety of painted woods used for obtaining furniture and decorative plywood. This is a red tree, for example, Mahagony (Swietenia Macrophylla), mined in South America; green Tree (Ocotea Roiaci), also found in South America; Black tree (types of kinds of DIOSPYROS) supplied by countries in Africa and East Asia; Tick \u200b\u200bTree (Tectona Grandis) - the inhabitant tropical forests East Asia, etc.

From wood with high hardness, a variety of varieties of iron wood should be noted, for example, Parrotia Persian Parotia (Parrotia Persica), forming the forest in the liner and on the slopes of the Elbecus Range (Iran). The hard wood gives Phoebe Porosa, growing in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, as well as Samshat (Buxus Sempervirens), in southern Europe, North Africa and the Caucasus (Map 12). The woodshet wood is used for a variety of crafts and is known as the "Caucasian Palma". One of the lightest wood gives Balza (Ochroma Lagopus), for example, in Mexico and Bolivia. Wood Balza served T. Heyerdal for making Kon-Tika.

Many of the listed conifers, as well as deciduous trees not only used for the workpiece of construction and diverse wood, but also serve as sources of obtaining other diverse products and substances. From conifers get wood and paper mass, cellulose, artificial wool; Hardwood - plug, rubber and guttaopech, resins and gum, essential and fatty oils, organic acids and sugar, tanning extracts and coloring pigments, etc. The best cork is obtained from the cork oak (QUERCUS SUBER) forming a forest in the countries of the Mediterranean and cultivated in several countries of Europe and North Africa. The plug also produce velvet tree (Phallodendron Amurense), common in the forests of the Far East and Northeast China; Kielmeyera Coriacea (Kielmeyera Coriacea), inhabitants in Brazil (Amazon Pool), and others.

The most famous rubbing plants are Geveya Brazilian (Hevea Brasiliensis), growing in the tropical forests of Brazil and widely cultivated in a number of countries of the tropical belt of the world; Castilloa, or Rucho (Castilloa), originating from South Americawhose rubber was used for impregnation of a cloak in Brazil, Ecuador and Peru; Balaga (Manilkora Sp.), Growing in Colombia and Venezuela and serving a special purpose rubber source; Various ficuses (types of Ficus genus), living in a number of tropical countries of the world; Guttaperch tree (Eucmia Ulmoides) from East Asia (China); Types of Becklet (EUONYMUS) from Europe, producing gutta-opera, now replaced by synthetic plastic substances, etc.

To obtain valuable resins that are wide application In the production of varnishes, a digital tree is used (Copaifera Demensei), giving a digger; Callitrix, or Sandarakov (Callitris Guadrivalvis), inhabitants in the forests of Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco and the producing sandarak; Himena (Hymenaea Courbaril), common in Brazil and Venezuela, from the cortex of which is obtained, like from Copaifera, copal resin; Shorea, or Sal (Shorea Robusta), forming island forests in India and gives a valuable resin, etc.

The most important gone plants are tragacantic astragaly (genus Astragalus from the TRAGACANTHA section), forming tragans in a number of Central and Front Asia countries, as well as on the Balkan Peninsula. The most valuable tragacan gum is a product obtained in Iran, Syria and Turkey and serving the subject of export. Comedy also give many fruit trees (Cherry, Plum, Apricot, Peach), Loch (Elaeagnus) and other gummy substances get from some seaweed.

Many wild plants serve as a source of various fragrant substances that are used as raw materials in the production of soap, perfumery, as well as products used in the food industry and medicine. The most valuable of them (except for cultivated pink geraniums, Kazan-Lyk rose, nutmeg sage, lemon sorghum, etc.) numerous types of semi-collar, lubber, complex colors (wormwood) and others growing in different parts of the Earth.

Fat (food and technical) oils are widely used all over the world. The main wild fatty plants include many coniferous, oil-rich seeds (nuts) which give various pine pines (Pinus Sibirica, P. Koraiensis and P. Cembra, P. Pinea); fruit olive tree (Olea Europaea), the area of \u200b\u200bwhich is associated with the countries of the Mediterranean (Map 13). Oily oil is also extracted from a walnut (Juglans Regia), wildly in Central Asia, in the Caucasus, as well as from other species of this kind, inhabiting in the countries of East Asia, Central and South America. Valuable food oil is obtained from Brazilian walnut (Bertoletia Excelsa), occurring in Brazil's forests; "Heaven nut" (Lecythis Sp.) Commodified in Brazil and Guiana; Caryokar, or Beii (CaryoCar Sp.), growing in Brazil; Oil palm (Elaeeis Guinensis), wild on tropical Africa and cultivated in many countries of the world, and many other plants. The best technical oil is obtained from Tunga (Aleurites Cordata and A. Fordii), wild in the countries of East Asia (China, Japan).

Very valuable raw materials used in a tubic extract industry, get from the bark and wood of many oaks (QUERCUS), bark ordinary ace and willows (SALIX), as well as from the roots of some grassy perennial plants (Polygonum Coriarium, P. Alpinum, etc.), forming thickets in the mountains of Central Asia and partly Europe. Global Divo-Divi Beans (Dibidibia Coriaria), common in Colombia and Venezuela; Quebraho White, or Quebracho (Aspidosperma Quebracho Blanko), growing in Brazil; Querebraho Red (Schinopsis Sp.), occurring in Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil and Bolivia; Black Mangr (Avicennia Marina), inhabiting in mangrove thickets of South America; Red Mangr (Rhizophora Mangle), forming mangroves in a number of tropical countries of the world; Types of eucalyptus (Eucalyptus), mostly large trees that make up the forests of Australia; Australian acacias (acacia), which contains a lot of tanids; Walloon oak (QUERCUS AEGYLOPS), founding in the countries of Front Asia, North Africa and Southern Europe and giving valuable tanning raw materials.

Consisters are adjacent to tanning plants that continue to have some economic significance. Of these, let's call the Campechianum (Haematoxylon Campechianum) growing in Central America and the Antillest Islands; Chlorophora Tictoria (Chlorophora Tictoria), which is found in South America; Brazilia (Quilandina), in the forests of Brazil; IndigoFera Tinctoria, which is found only in culture in Italy, India, on Sri Lanka, in China and Indochier, as well as in Egypt and South America. Many dye plants at one time were used in the carpet production of Iran, Afghanistan, as well as the Transcaucasus. From food dyeing plants it is necessary to mention Annato (BIXA ORELLANA) and Curcuma (Curcuma).

Great importance for practice have a variety medicinal plantsused in European, American and Eastern medicine. The history of their application has 5 - 7 thousand years old, and the number of types used reaches 12 thousand from the most important mention of the Jinna Tree (Cinchona Succirubra), wild in Brazil; Ginseng (Panax Gunseng), growing in the forests of the Far East and in China; Rauvolfia Serpentina (Rauvolfia Serpentina), characteristic of the undergrowth of tropical forests of East Asia; Pilocarpus (Pilocarpus Pennatifolius), common in the forests of South America; Handress, or Belladonna (Atropa Belladonna), occurring in the forests of Europe, in Asia Minor, in the Caucasus; licorice (species of Glycyrrhiza), forcing thickets in Central Asia, in the Caucasus, in the European part of the USSR, in Siberia and other places; Lily of the Lily (Convallaria Majalis) growing in the forests of Europe, the European part of the USSR (Map 15); Gorizvet (Adonis Vernalis), growing in the steppe strip of Europe and the European part of the USSR (Map 14), etc.

In addition to listed plants that have economic importance in a number of countries in the world, we mention fibrous plants (for example, Agave Sisalana), braid (various bamboo), insecticidal, food, spicy aromatic, forage, honey, and ornamental (park, garden and indoor ), soil and t. d.

All these plants together with the main cultural and cultivated species are plant wealth of world flora.

Plants are a source of oxygen on Earth, very important in climate formation and in general make people a comfortable people. Hundreds of years ago, plants were material when building dwellings, were used in food, firewood was harvested from trees, wealed tools for life and hunting. Nothing has changed to this day. How does a person use plants in his vital activity? Reading books, buying products from leather, some and do not guess that all these products of the plant world. Russia is the richest country not only in natural reserves, but also in a variety of vegetation. Mossi, lichens, almost all kinds of deciduous trees - all this heritage can be seen on the expanses of a huge country.

All plants can be conditionally subdivided into species, depending on the applications. Some plants go to the harvesting of firewood and the production of building materials, others, are food (vegetables, fruits), others are used in the pharmaceutical and chemical industry (resin, dispatch), the fourth subspecies refers to animal feeds. Do not forget about plants that bloom in our windowsill. Their person uses in decorative purposes to please the eye.

Communication man- plants Very strong. A person carries both permits and creative. The rate of industrial growth make themselves felt. The forest hectares are cut down, some plant species disappear at all. But fortunately, the plant world has the ability to replenishness. A new one will grow on the site of the fledged tree, the truth will take for many years. But it is plants that are a source of vitamins, trace elements, so necessary for the human body. Folk medicine is full of vegetable oil-based recipes. Many medical drugs include roots, plants stems.

It is also possible to evaluate how animals affect plants. The animal world is diverse, his representatives affect the plant world in different ways. Some insects, such as caterpillars, ants can cause damage to a whole forest. Caterpillars are able to leave the tree absolutely without leaves. The larvae of the May beetle feed on the roots of plants, thereby lick them. But on the other hand, you can see the positive effect of insects on vegetation. For example, the process of pollination or transfer of seeds is the merit of butterflies, bumblebees, bees. Although the wind also takes part in this, but insects are definitely contributed to its contribution.

How the plants adapt to external conditions In different latitudes of our immense homeland? In the process of the evolution of the plant "learned" to adapt to different weather, climatic conditions. This affected their appearance. So for example, in places with a hot climate in plants, small leaves. How did the plants with spiny appear? It all happened due to the process of evolution. The sheet was transformed into a barley due to lack of moisture. Delivery of leaves is one of the ways to survive for the plant. No leaves - no life, all processes are freezing, the tree goes into the hibernation.

Plants (Latin Plantae or Vegetabilia) examines the science of botany, at the XXI century scientists have more than 320 thousand species of plants, most of which belong to flowering plants (about 280 thousand species), the number of plants increases every year, new types are constantly opening.

What would our planet without plants?

The role of plants as in nature and in the life and economic activity of man is difficult to overestimate. Thanks to the process of photosynthesis, occurring in green leaves of plants with participation sunlight Oxygen formation occurs, which is vital for all inhabitants of the earth's surface. Plants - the richest source of vitamins and minerals, an indispensable element of trophic power supply chains, produced a variety of organic substances In nature from inorganic raw materials. If there were no plants in nature, there would be no animals nor the person himself, and the planet itself would look like a lifeless desert, there would not even have soil and no landscaped diversity created by precisely vegetable groups. A person must appreciate and understand the role of plants in his life, because without them it simply did not exist, sozhaya and caressing for small sprouts of green life, we are becoming cleaner and kinder, coming to the sacraments of nature and the universe.

Photosynthesis as a great space process making our planet suitable for life

One of the most important functions of green plants is the production of oxygen in the process of photosynthesis. In the leaves of green plants, a chlorophyll pigment is contained, which, under the influence of sunlight, separates the water-stretched water from the soil into hydrogen and oxygen (process of photoles). Also absorbed by plants carbon dioxide in the presence of chlorophyll and, without the obligatory participation of sunlight, react with water, forming glucose and oxygen (carbon dioxide recovery process). Connecting the obtained glucose with sulfur compounds, nitrogen and phosphorus obtained from the soil, plants generate proteins, fats, starch, various vitamins and other complex compounds necessary for their further livelihoods.

What is still useful give plants in nature

The speed of photosynthesis depends on the intensity of the light, the concentration of oxygen and carbon dioxide, ambient temperature. The obtained 2 partially stands out into the atmosphere, partly goes to the respiration of the plants themselves. Annually, the plants are released into the atmosphere of up to 510 tons of oxygen, they support its constant gas balance to a state of suitable for breathing. Lifting into the upper layers of the atmosphere, oxygen turns into ozone and becomes part of the ozone layer protecting our planet from the destructive UV radiation of the Sun.

Every year, up to 170 billion tons of organic substances are formed using plants, most of which are produced land plants. With the help of plants, the upper fertile layer of the Earth under the name of the soil is formed, they provide in it a permanent cycle of minerals, so necessary for its fertility.

Plants due to the fact that 90% of moisture return to the atmosphere, which sushi evaporates, significantly soften the climate of the Earth and form temperature mode Planets. Absorbing carbon dioxide they reduce the so-called greenhouse effect, although a person as a result of its economic activity (burning fuel and cutting of significant areas of wet equatorial forests) and tries to reduce all the efforts of "light planets" to zero.

The vegetation, covering the Earth with a dense carpet, protects it from drying out, creates a softer, wet climate, roots store the soil from weathered and erosion, prevent the appearance of ravines and landslides. Plants are separated into air specific phytoncides, destructive for pathogenic bacteria, are the first important step in the trophic power circuits.

Man and plants

In the life of a person, the plants play a huge role, because in addition to the fact that they are sources of oxygen necessary for breathing, they are used by a person in food (cereals, vegetables, grain-legumes, fruits of trees, ether-oil cultures, sorhoroneous plants), make medicines , clothes, houses, they serve raw materials for industrial paper production, paints, rubber and other various useful substances.

Plants - an indispensable source of vitamins and minerals, whose deficit can lead to serious diseases in a person. In animal husbandry, feed crops go into food by animals, in large megalopolis, they absorb excess carbon dioxide, serve for sanitary and hygienic purposes, absorbing harmful substances from the air, ionizing it and moisturizing.