Plant: a necessity of life

Plant is one of the major forms of life on earth. It can produce its own food but cannot move about. Plants have well organized structures. They are beautiful and they determine local climates and are used as live fences. They phytoremediate and cool our environment. They provide us with oxygen, medicines, fuel, timber, recreation, industrial products; preservatives, pesticides in addition to all the three necessities of life: food, clothing and shelter. They purify the air and water bodies. It is therefore impossible to talk about life without plants because of their importance to the balance of nature. However, people have altered and often degraded their environment, though it has been taking place so gradually that its effects have not been drastically felt. Despite the enormous benefits of plants to humanity, they are disappearing at alarming rates. The reasons for this loss are many and include many anthropogenic activities. It is therefore quite imperative to ensure their effective conservation. This paper summarizes available information about the direct and the indirect benefits of plants and suggests some important measures to ensure their posterity. I hope, by bringing this information together, people will appreciate our plants and be frugal in using them.