History

• The life of a green plant revolves around photosynthesis. This is the process by which it makes food. Photosynthesis began with blue-green algae. Sulfate-reducing bacteria existed and some types of bacteria were able to conduct photosynthesis. Essentially, this evolution from fermentation to photosynthesis opened the door for life to exist on the planet.
  
  

Significance

• The breakthrough was revolutionary. The process of photosynthesis made it possible for plants to grow. Also, oxygen, a by-product of photosynthesis dramatically changed the chemical foundation of the atmosphere. It's no exaggeration to say that because of without plants, there would be no life on Earth. Over millennium, plants continued to evolve and adapt to their environment, and consequently, provide additional benefits and resources for wildlife and humans.
  
  

Function

• Consider the willow tree. It is an attractive, ornamental tree found that thrives best in moist soils. In addition to the aesthetic value, it is used as bio-fuel. In wooded wetlands, it provides shoreline stability and wildlife habitat. Its uses don't stop there. The literature contains references to its medicinal properties by the Hippocrates, the "father of medicine," Native Americans also used the bark as a pain reliever. Indeed modern science corroborates these uses. Salicylic acid found in the bark was synthesized to become aspirin.
  
  

Misconceptions

• There are misconceptions about plants. In a stable ecosystem, plants are highly evolved for the specific conditions of the environment. Plants cannot thrive anywhere. A desert plant could no more thrive in the forest than an oak tree survive in a swamp. Because of a plant's ability to release oxygen, all plants have some underlying value.
  
  

Benefits

• Green plants provide other benefits for humans. Wetlands and their flora, for example, provide flood protection by acting as natural sponges to absorb excess water from heavy rains. The U.S. EPA estimates that floods cause $2 billion of damage each year. Plants provide habitat which in turn provides recreation opportunities. Hunting and fishing provide local revenue as well as funding state environmental management programs. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that hunters contribute $200 million yearly to these efforts through federal excise taxes.
  
  Besides their aesthetic value, green plants give value to all aspects of our lives. From the air that we breathe to protection from natural disaster, green plants are the key to life.