Fun Plant Encyclopedia: Fun Popular Science Series

Author: Dong Renwei (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Plants and animals constitute the vibrant natural scenery of the macro world. Especially the green plants that cover the entire Earth, forming forests and sprawling lawns. From the ice-covered Antarctica to the humid tropical rainforests; from the blue oceans to the arid deserts, all plants miraculously grow and reproduce. Plants adorn nature with their diversity. What are plants? Their definition remains difficult to establish. Generally, plants with chlorophyll that obtain nutrients through photosynthesis are considered their characteristic, with exceptions such as fungi, saprophytes, and parasitic plants. Additionally, plant cell walls contain cellulose, making them tough and rigid, without motility organs, typically fixed in one location, and lacking sensory organs and nervous systems. Of course, there are exceptions—some plants can move, like tumbleweeds and resurrection plants; some have sensory organs and nervous systems; and some even have blood types like animals, and so on. These exceptions make many plants particularly fascinating. Biologists are preparing to establish a new classification system, excluding fungi (which lack the key plant characteristic of chlorophyll and photosynthesis) from the plant kingdom and placing them in the microbial and fungal kingdoms. Currently, the plant classification system used in botany divides plants into two major categories: lower plants and higher plants. Lower plants are divided into three types: algae, fungi, and lichens. Morphologically, they lack root, stem, and leaf differentiation, also known as thalloid plants; structurally, they lack tissue differentiation, with single-celled reproductive organs, and the zygote develops without leaving the mother body, not forming an embryo, hence called apomicts. There are now approximately 156,000 species of lower plants, of which fungi account for about 120,000. Higher plants have root, stem, and leaf differentiation, also known as tracheophytes; structurally, they have tissue differentiation, with multicellular reproductive organs, and the zygote develops into an embryo within the mother body, thus also called embryophytes. Higher plants include three types: bryophytes, pteridophytes, and seed plants, with about 275,000 species worldwide, 90% of which are seed plants. China has nearly 30,000 species of higher plants, accounting for over 10% of the global total, ranking third in the world after Malaysia and Brazil.
"Heaven has created all things for the sake of humankind." One of the essential elements plants provide to humans is oxygen in the air. Through photosynthesis, they absorb carbon dioxide—the waste gas exhaled by humans—day after day, producing the oxygen humans cannot live without, delivering high-quality air rich in oxygen. Plants use their roots to protect soil and water, regulate climate, and prevent natural disasters such as soil erosion, desertification, and landslides. With their entire bodies, plants provide humans with food, vegetables, fruits, beverages, clothing, and industrial raw materials. Plants use their brightly colored flowers to offer humans spiritual enjoyment. Plants have given much to humankind.
However, "How can one repay Heaven?" For temporary selfish gain, forests are massively cut down, and wild economic plants are (plundered), turning green mountain peaks into bare heads. Deforestation, grassland conversion, and lake enclosure for agriculture have drastically reduced the areas of forests, grasslands, and lakes, worsening the living space for plants. Many plant species are now on the brink of extinction, while desertification, sandstorms, and massive floods rage unchecked.
For the sake of our Mother Earth, for our dear plant siblings and sisters, and to protect our human living environment, we should treat plants with kindness. Currently, citizens of the global village are gradually reaching a consensus on treating plants with care. More and more endangered plant species are being protected, and more nature reserves are being established. The movement to return farmland to forests and grasslands is gaining momentum. We believe that as long as we treat plants kindly, plants will reward us even more.