#uses of plants

[manojreddy55]

Plants and Their Uses

Introduction

Plants are an essential part of our environment. They provide us with food, oxygen, medicine, and many other useful products. Without plants, life on Earth would not exist. They play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of nature by providing oxygen, absorbing carbon dioxide, and preventing soil erosion. In this article, we will learn about different types of plants, their parts, and why they are important to us. We will also explore their uses in various fields and how they help in maintaining a healthy ecosystem For More…

Learn more about plants and their significance at Gritty Tech. At Gritty Tech, we believe in fostering curiosity and knowledge through engaging and informative content. By understanding plants and their uses, we can develop a greater appreciation for nature and work towards a greener future.

Types of Plants

Plants come in different shapes and sizes. We can classify them into various types based on their characteristics. Understanding the types of plants helps us appreciate their unique roles in nature.

1. Herbs

Herbs are small, soft, and green plants with a short lifespan. They do not have a thick or woody stem. They are mostly seasonal plants and grow quickly. Herbs are used in cooking, medicines, and even in cosmetics. Some examples of herbs include:

Mint: Used in food and for medicinal purposes.

Coriander: Used for cooking and garnishing dishes.

Basil: Known for its medicinal and culinary uses.

Spinach: A leafy vegetable rich in iron and vitamins.

2. Shrubs

Shrubs are medium-sized plants with multiple stems. They are bushy and grow closer to the ground. Shrubs have stronger stems compared to herbs but are not as large as trees. They are commonly used in gardens for decorative purposes and also have medicinal benefits. Examples of shrubs include:

Rose: Used in perfumes and decorations.

Hibiscus: Used in herbal teas and hair care products.

Jasmine: Used for its fragrance and medicinal properties.

3. Trees

Trees are tall plants with a strong, woody trunk. They live for many years and provide shade, wood, and fruits. Trees play a significant role in the ecosystem by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. Some common examples of trees include:

Mango Tree: Produces delicious mango fruits.

Neem Tree: Known for its medicinal properties.

Oak Tree: Provides wood for furniture and houses.

Pine Tree: Used in making paper and furniture.

4. Climbers

Climbers are plants with weak stems that need support to grow. They use tendrils, twining stems, or sticky pads to cling to other structures. Climbers are mostly grown for their fruits or decorative purposes. Examples include:

Grapevines: Produce grapes for eating and making wine.

Money Plants: Grown indoors for decorative purposes.

Beans: Provide nutritious vegetables.

5. Creepers

Creepers are plants with weak stems that spread along the ground. They usually produce large fruits and require ample space to grow. Examples include:

Watermelon: Produces large, juicy fruits.

Pumpkin: Used in cooking and decoration.

Strawberry: Produces small, sweet fruits.

Parts of a Plant and Their Functions

Each part of a plant has a special function that helps it grow and survive. Let’s explore these parts in detail.

1. Roots

Roots are the underground part of a plant. They perform essential functions such as:

Absorbing Water and Nutrients: Roots take in water and minerals from the soil to nourish the plant.

Anchoring the Plant: They hold the plant firmly in the ground, preventing it from being uprooted.

Storing Food: Some plants store extra nutrients in their roots (e.g., carrots, beets, radishes).

2. Stem

The stem is the main part that supports the plant. It helps in:

Transporting Water and Nutrients: It carries water from the roots to the leaves and food from the leaves to other parts.

Providing Support: It holds leaves, flowers, and fruits.

Storing Food: Some stems store food, such as sugarcane and potatoes.

3. Leaves

Leaves are the food factories of a plant. They help in:

Photosynthesis: Leaves use sunlight to make food for the plant.

Releasing Oxygen: Plants release oxygen into the air, which humans and animals need.

Regulating Water Loss: Tiny openings called stomata help in controlling water evaporation.

4. Flowers

Flowers are the most beautiful part of a plant. They help in:

Reproduction: Flowers produce seeds and fruits.

Attracting Pollinators: Bees and butterflies help in pollination.

Making Perfumes: Many flowers are used in making scents and perfumes.

5. Fruits and Seeds

Fruits contain seeds that grow into new plants. They help in:

Plant Reproduction: Seeds grow into new plants.

Providing Food: Fruits and seeds are rich sources of nutrients.

Importance of Plants

Plants are important for many reasons. They help us in different ways and make the environment better.

1. Plants Give Us Oxygen

Plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen through photosynthesis. This oxygen is essential for all living beings to breathe.

2. Plants Provide Food

Plants give us different types of food like fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts. Some common examples include:

Fruits: Mango, apple, banana.

Vegetables: Carrot, spinach, potato.

Grains: Rice, wheat, corn.

3. Plants Give Us Medicine

Many plants are used to make medicines. Some common medicinal plants include:

Tulsi: Used for cough and cold.

Aloe Vera: Used for skin problems.

Neem: Used as an antiseptic.

4. Plants Provide Wood and Paper

We get wood from trees like teak, sandalwood, and pine. Wood is used to make furniture, houses, and paper.

5. Plants Help Control Climate

Trees help to keep the climate cool. They absorb carbon dioxide, reduce pollution, and bring rain.

6. Plants Give Shelter to Animals

Many birds, insects, and animals live on trees. They build nests and find food in plants.

7. Plants Make the Environment Beautiful

Plants make gardens, parks, and forests look green and beautiful. They also help in reducing stress and making people feel fresh.

Conclusion

Plants are very important for all living beings. They provide us with food, oxygen, medicine, and shelter. We must take care of plants and plant more trees to protect our environment. By learning about plants and their uses, we can make our world a better place to live.

This article is offered by Gritty Tech, a platform dedicated to educating young minds about the wonders of nature and science. Keep exploring and keep learning!

[asgardian--angels]

Planet's Fucked: What Can You Do To Help? (Long Post)

Since nobody is talking about the existential threat to the climate and the environment a second Trump term/Republican government control will cause, which to me supersedes literally every other issue, I wanted to just say my two cents, and some things you can do to help. I am a conservation biologist, whose field was hit substantially by the first Trump presidency. I study wild bees, birds, and plants.

In case anyone forgot what he did last time, he gagged scientists' ability to talk about climate change, he tried zeroing budgets for agencies like the NOAA, he attempted to gut protections in the Endangered Species Act (mainly by redefining 'take' in a way that would allow corporations to destroy habitat of imperiled species with no ramifications), he tried to do the same for the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (the law that offers official protection for native non-game birds), he sought to expand oil and coal extraction from federal protected lands, he shrunk the size of multiple national preserves, HE PULLED US OUT OF THE PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT, and more.

We are at a crucial tipping point in being able to slow the pace of climate change, where we decide what emissions scenario we will operate at, with existential consequences for both the environment and people. We are also in the middle of the Sixth Mass Extinction, with the rate of species extinctions far surpassing background rates due completely to human actions. What we do now will determine the fate of the environment for hundreds or thousands of years - from our ability to grow key food crops (goodbye corn belt! I hated you anyway but), to the pressure on coastal communities that will face the brunt of sea level rise and intensifying extreme weather events, to desertification, ocean acidification, wildfires, melting permafrost (yay, outbreaks of deadly frozen viruses!), and a breaking down of ecosystems and ecosystem services due to continued habitat loss and species declines, especially insect declines. The fact that the environment is clearly a low priority issue despite the very real existential threat to so many people, is beyond my ability to understand. I do partly blame the public education system for offering no mandatory environmental science curriculum or any at all in most places. What it means is that it will take the support of everyone who does care to make any amount of difference in this steeply uphill battle.

There are not enough environmental scientists to solve these issues, not if public support is not on our side and the majority of the general public is either uninformed or actively hostile towards climate science (or any conservation science).

So what can you, my fellow Americans, do to help mitigate and minimize the inevitable damage that lay ahead?

I'm not going to tell you to recycle more or take shorter showers. I'll be honest, that stuff is a drop in the bucket. What does matter on the individual level is restoring and protecting habitat, reducing threats to at-risk species, reducing pesticide use, improving agricultural practices, and pushing for policy changes. Restoring CONNECTIVITY to our landscape - corridors of contiguous habitat - will make all the difference for wildlife to be able to survive a changing climate and continued human population expansion.

**Caveat that I work in the northeast with pollinators and birds so I cannot provide specific organizations for some topics, including climate change focused NGOs. Scientists on tumblr who specialize in other fields, please add your own recommended resources. **

We need two things: FUNDING and MANPOWER.

You may surprised to find that an insane amount of conservation work is carried out by volunteers. We don't ever have the funds to pay most of the people who want to help. If you really really care, consider going into a conservation-related field as a career. It's rewarding, passionate work.

At the national level, please support:

The Nature Conservancy

Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Cornell Lab of Ornithology (including eBird)

National Audubon Society

Federal Duck Stamps (you don't need to be a hunter to buy one!)

These first four work to acquire and restore critical habitat, change environmental policy, and educate the public. There is almost certainly a Nature Conservancy-owned property within driving distance of you. Xerces plays a very large role in pollinator conservation, including sustainable agriculture, native bee monitoring programs, and the Bee City/Bee Campus USA programs. The Lab of O is one of the world's leaders in bird research and conservation. Audubon focuses on bird conservation. You can get annual memberships to these organizations and receive cool swag and/or a subscription to their publications which are well worth it. You can also volunteer your time; we need thousands of volunteers to do everything from conducting wildlife surveys, invasive species removal, providing outreach programming, managing habitat/clearing trails, planting trees, you name it. Federal Duck Stamps are the major revenue for wetland conservation; hunters need to buy them to hunt waterfowl but anyone can get them to collect!

THERE ARE DEFINITELY MORE, but these are a start.

Additionally, any federal or local organizations that seek to provide support and relief to those affected by hurricanes, sea level rise, any form of coastal climate change...

At the regional level:

These are a list of topics that affect major regions of the United States. Since I do not work in most of these areas I don't feel confident recommending specific organizations, but please seek resources relating to these as they are likely major conservation issues near you.

PRAIRIE CONSERVATION & PRAIRIE POTHOLE WETLANDS

DRYING OF THE COLORADO RIVER (good overview video linked)

PROTECTION OF ESTUARIES AND SALTMARSH, ESPECIALLY IN THE DELAWARE BAY AND LONG ISLAND (and mangroves further south, everglades etc; this includes restoring LIVING SHORELINES instead of concrete storm walls; also check out the likely-soon extinction of saltmarsh sparrows)

UNDAMMING MAJOR RIVERS (not just the Colorado; restoring salmon runs, restoring historic floodplains)

NATIVE POLLINATOR DECLINES (NOT honeybees. for fuck's sake. honeybees are non-native domesticated animals. don't you DARE get honeybee hives to 'save the bees')

WILDLIFE ALONG THE SOUTHERN BORDER (support the Mission Butterfly Center!)

INVASIVE PLANT AND ANIMAL SPECIES (this is everywhere but the specifics will differ regionally, dear lord please help Hawaii)

LOSS OF WETLANDS NATIONWIDE (some states have lost over 90% of their wetlands, I'm looking at you California, Ohio, Illinois)

INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE, esp in the CORN BELT and CALIFORNIA - this is an issue much bigger than each of us, but we can work incrementally to promote sustainable practices and create habitat in farmland-dominated areas. Support small, local farms, especially those that use soil regenerative practices, no-till agriculture, no pesticides/Integrated Pest Management/no neonicotinoids/at least non-persistent pesticides. We need more farmers enrolling in NRCS programs to put farmland in temporary or permanent wetland easements, or to rent the land for a 30-year solar farm cycle. We've lost over 99% of our prairies to corn and soybeans. Let's not make it 100%.

INDIGENOUS LAND-BACK EFFORTS/INDIGENOUS LAND MANAGEMENT/TEK (adding this because there have been increasing efforts not just for reparations but to also allow indigenous communities to steward and manage lands either fully independently or alongside western science, and it would have great benefits for both people and the land; I know others on here could speak much more on this. Please platform indigenous voices)

HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS (get your neighbors to stop dumping fertilizers on their lawn next to lakes, reduce agricultural runoff)

OCEAN PLASTIC (it's not straws, it's mostly commercial fishing line/trawling equipment and microplastics)

A lot of these are interconnected. And of course not a complete list.

At the state and local level:

You probably have the most power to make change at the local level!

Support or volunteer at your local nature centers, local/state land conservancy non-profits (find out who owns&manages the preserves you like to hike at!), state fish & game dept/non-game program, local Audubon chapters (they do a LOT). Participate in a Christmas Bird Count!

Join local garden clubs, which install and maintain town plantings - encourage them to use NATIVE plants. Join a community garden!

Get your college campus or city/town certified in the Bee Campus USA/Bee City USA programs from the Xerces Society

Check out your state's official plant nursery, forest society, natural heritage program, anything that you could become a member of, get plants from, or volunteer at.

Volunteer to be part of your town's conservation commission, which makes decisions about land management and funding

Attend classes or volunteer with your land grant university's cooperative extension (including master gardener programs)

Literally any volunteer effort aimed at improving the local environment, whether that's picking up litter, pulling invasive plants, installing a local garden, planting trees in a city park, ANYTHING. make a positive change in your own sphere. learn the local issues affecting your nearby ecosystems. I guarantee some lake or river nearby is polluted

MAKE HABITAT IN YOUR COMMUNITY. Biggest thing you can do. Use plants native to your area in your yard or garden. Ditch your lawn. Don't use pesticides (including mosquito spraying, tick spraying, Roundup, etc). Don't use fertilizers that will run off into drinking water. Leave the leaves in your yard. Get your school/college to plant native gardens. Plant native trees (most trees planted in yards are not native). Remove invasive plants in your yard.

On this last point, HERE ARE EASY ONLINE RESOURCES TO FIND NATIVE PLANTS and LEARN ABOUT NATIVE GARDENING:

Xerces Society Pollinator Conservation Resource Center

Pollinator Pathway

Audubon Native Plant Finder

Homegrown National Park (and Doug Tallamy's other books)

National Wildlife Federation Native Plant Finder (clunky but somewhat helpful)

Heather Holm (for prairie/midwest/northeast)

MonarchGard w/ Benjamin Vogt (for prairie/midwest)

Native Plant Trust (northeast & mid-atlantic)

Grow Native Massachusetts (northeast)

Habitat Gardening in Central New York (northeast)

There are many more - I'm not familiar with resources for western states. Print books are your biggest friend. Happy to provide a list of those.

Lastly, you can help scientists monitor species using citizen science. Contribute to iNaturalist, eBird, Bumblebee Watch, or any number of more geographically or taxonomically targeted programs (for instance, our state has a butterfly census carried out by citizen volunteers).

In short? Get curious, get educated, get involved. Notice your local nature, find out how it's threatened, and find out who's working to protect it that you can help with. The health of the planet, including our resilience to climate change, is determined by small local efforts to maintain and restore habitat. That is how we survive this. When government funding won't come, when we're beat back at every turn trying to get policy changed, it comes down to each individual person creating a safe refuge for nature.

Thanks for reading this far. Please feel free to add your own credible resources and organizations.

[sergle]

pink carnations for the floral portrait series + detail (pls do not tag as "me", thank you!!)

[egophiliac]

can't believe that skeleman has turned on us, and Halloween Prom is tomorrow.

(what a top-tier UM...we are about to be just totally obliterated in the absolute silliest way. what possible use could this power have outside of bringing us to the brink of utter holiday disaster.)

[reasonsforhope]

"A century of gradual reforestation across the American East and Southeast has kept the region cooler than it otherwise would have become, a new study shows.

The pioneering study of progress shows how the last 25 years of accelerated reforestation around the world might significantly pay off in the second half of the 21st century.

Using a variety of calculative methods and estimations based on satellite and temperature data from weather stations, the authors determined that forests in the eastern United States cool the land surface by 1.8 – 3.6°F annually compared to nearby grasslands and croplands, with the strongest effect seen in summer, when cooling amounts to 3.6 – 9°F.

The younger the forest, the more this cooling effect was detected, with forest trees between 20 and 40 years old offering the coolest temperatures underneath.

“The reforestation has been remarkable and we have shown this has translated into the surrounding air temperature,” Mallory Barnes, an environmental scientist at Indiana University who led the research, told The Guardian.

“Moving forward, we need to think about tree planting not just as a way to absorb carbon dioxide but also the cooling effects in adapting for climate change, to help cities be resilient against these very hot temperatures.”

The cooling of the land surface affected the air near ground level as well, with a stepwise reduction in heat linked to reductions in near-surface air temps.

“Analyses of historical land cover and air temperature trends showed that the cooling benefits of reforestation extend across the landscape,” the authors write. “Locations surrounded by reforestation were up to 1.8°F cooler than neighboring locations that did not undergo land cover change, and areas dominated by regrowing forests were associated with cooling temperature trends in much of the Eastern United States.”

By the 1930s, forest cover loss in the eastern states like the Carolinas and Mississippi had stopped, as the descendants of European settlers moved in greater and greater numbers into cities and marginal agricultural land was abandoned.

The Civilian Conservation Corps undertook large replanting efforts of forests that had been cleared, and this is believed to be what is causing the lower average temperatures observed in the study data.

However, the authors note that other causes, like more sophisticated crop irrigation and increases in airborne pollutants that block incoming sunlight, may have also contributed to the lowering of temperatures over time. They also note that tree planting might not always produce this effect, such as in the boreal zone where increases in trees are linked with increases in humidity that way raise average temperatures."

-via Good News Network, February 20, 2024

[ni053791]

lil doodle dump but it's just my winter AU

[bluesky] | [ko-fi] | [instagram]

[hellsitegenetics]

hey this was taken from a matt rose video

lets see what animal/plant kim kardashian is

String identified: GCATCAGTCGCATGCATGCACGATCGATCGATCAGCAGC

Closest match: Sorghum bicolor subsp. drummondii cultivar S722 chromosome 10 Common name: Sudangrass

(image source)

[sami--onley]

Judy desperately needs your help. Time is running out. There is no more time to ignore Judy. Please donate.

Don't ignore, share and donate too.

[roadkill-creatures]

[theshitpostcalligrapher]

heeeyyyyy @gallusrostromegalus and @briarpatch-kids its timmmeeee for basil babies!

i germinated a bunch this year, lets see how many survive lol

[emberhope-fr]

so i had a thought after buying a dragon from a friend

bruce the parrotlet and his "eating dome"

[inusmasha]

Sometimes it’s hard to read fanfic when you’re studying herbalism.. when they have the character preparing a tincture to use that same DAY!!?

Baby those dried herbs need to sit in that jar with high proof alcohol for at LEAST a month!

That’s why before the use of calendars ppl use to prepare their tinctures either on the new moon or full moon. A a full moon cycle is usually 28 days or so. And they would give the moon names so it’s easier to remember when/what month said tincture was bottled.

This is also why herbal medicine is prepare in small batches. You have to take your time preparing your bottles. Making sure everything is clean so you don’t end up with mold. Diluting your grain alcohol. Heckkk knowing when to pick your herbs for max potency! Drying your herbs! That takes a lot of time too!

I didn’t mean to rant lol

[aaaaaaafrogs]

Finally finished my most ambitious Hatchetfield project yet. Every box in the border represents a different Nightmare Time, as well as Hey Melissa, Trail to Oregon, Workin’ Boys, the BBQ monologues and Peanuts the Hatchetfield Pocket Squirrel. The three large boxes at the bottom represent the three main musicals. It’s 18x24” and made with sharpie :]

[gulabi-gal]

With Hurricane Milton barreling towards Florida, I am honestly expecting the further normalization of extreme climate events. Especially because the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene just happened.

Somehow, people are still debating on whether climate change actually exists, while people are having their homes and livelihoods completely decimated.

We cannot continue like this and keep waiting for things to get worse and impact us personally. Watching others suffer should be enough for us to finally decide to take action.

Taking action against climate change is not only just protesting, but learning about the environment and gardening. Plant native species and help protect areas local to you. Join cleanup efforts and advocate for local green energy initiatives.

[mielplante]

the black hellebore is a poisonous flower that blooms in the heart of winter