Why Save Endangered Plants?

Medicine

• According to the Plant Conservation Alliance, more than 40% of medicines offered in America came from plants. Without these plants, important medicines such as antibiotics would become rare. There are still many plants that may have medical uses that have not been identified, and their extinction could mean the loss of a cure.

Ecosystem

• Plants are an important part of the ecosystem. This system is made up of plants and animals in a given area and relates to their benefit to the environment and how they interact with each other. Plants feed herbivores, which are then eaten by carnivores and so on. If the plants disappear, the herbivores that eat those specific plants become endangered, which threatens the carnivores and puts the entire system in danger.

Prevention

• Protecting endangered plants is a large task. Some organizations work to change laws in order to aid endangered plant species. Many wildlife organizations also attempt to have these plants cultivated within refuges to ensure that they do not die out. Gardeners have also switched to eco-friendly pesticides and fertilizers to reduce the amount of chemicals in the environment.