Discovering Plant Potential: A Guide to Uses and Conservation

1. The World of Plants Introducing Plants G Davidson

2. Introducing Plants • The sun is the source of ALL energy on earth. • Green plants are the link between the sun and other living things. • Man relies on plants for many things if he is to go on living.

3. Summary Sheet

4. Uses of Plants • Plants can be used for food e.g. Potato Apple

5. Uses of Plants • Plants can be used as raw materials Fuel Building materials Furniture, paper, etc

6. Uses of Plants • Plants can be used for drugs and medicines Opium poppy Foxglove (digitalis)

7. Uses of Plants

8. Uses of Plants

9. Timber Production Wood was one of the most important raw materials to early man and although man now uses other materials, he still uses vast quantities of timber. Forestry is a very important industry in Scotland. Complete the flow chart

10. Effect of Reducing Plant Species • Plants, especially trees are essential for maintaining life on our planet. • The water cycle and gas balance will be upset. • When forests are cleared, whole ecosystems are destroyed. • Future medicinal plants may be lost. • Animals become extinct through a loss of habitat or loss of their food supply. • Loss of genes and genetic diversity.

11. Potential Uses of Plants • Scientists are always looking for plants that can produce new products that will be of use to man and other animals. • There are still many species of plants to be discovered and these may be of potential use.

12. Potential Uses of Plants • New scientific techniques also mean that plants previously thought to be of no use can now be investigated e.g. tissue culture and biotechnology.

13. Potential Uses of Plants There are a number of problems with these techniques :- • Tissue culture is a highly skilled technique • Obtaining the correct plants cells can often be difficult • Obtaining the variety can be difficult • Cost • Time