BIODIVERSITY AND POLLUTION CONTROL

PLANTS AS NATURAL PURIFIERS AS THEY ACT AS CARBON SINKS AND OXYGEN SUPPLIERS. THEY HELP NOT ONLY MAINTAINING THE BALANCE OF GASES IN THE ATMOSPHERE BUT ALSO IN REDUCING THE EFFECT OF HARMFUL GASES THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE AND REDUCE GREEN HOUSE EFFECT WHICH RESULTS INTO GLOBAL WARMING. 

FORESTS OF ALL KIND EXCHANGE MOISTURE AND ENERGY WITH THE ATMOSPHERE MORE INTENSIVELY THAN OTHER LAND SURFACE COVER. AS VEGETATION COVER DIMINISHES THERE IS LESS SCOPE FOR EVAPO-TRANSPIRATION AND LESS MOISTURE IS DISPATCHED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE FOR RECYCLING AS RAINFALL. IN ADDITION FORESTS INCREASE CLOUD COVER AND CLOUDS ALTER THE CLIMATE OF FOREST REGIONS IN TERMS OF TEMPERATURE AND RAINFALL.

GREEN BELT PLANTATIONS ACT AS BUFFERS AND SHOCK ABSORBERS AGAINST DUST A NOISE IN URBAN, INDUSTRIAL AND MINING AREAS. A GREAT VARIETY OF TREES HELP IN THE REDUCTION OF AIR AND NOISE POLLUTION.

CERTAIN PLANTS ARE ABLE TO EXTRACT HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES SUCH AS ARSENIC, LEAD AND URANIUM FROM SOIL AND WATER. THE ALPINE PENNYCRESS (BRASSICACEAL) IS A PLANT THAT BIOACCUMULATES HIGH LEVELS OF CADMIUM AND ZINC FROM THE ENVIRONMENT. THE BRACKEN FERN EXTRACTS ARSENIC FROM THE SOIL AND STORES IT IN ITS FERN LEAVES AS MUCH AS 200 TIMES THAT PRESENT IN THE SOIL, ENABLING EFFECTIVE CLEAN UP PROGRAMMES. SUNFLOWERS WERE USED TO CLEAN UP URANIUM AFTER THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT.

COMPLEX MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES DEGRADE CERTAIN TOXIC CHEMICALS THROUGH A PROCESS CALLED BIODEGRADATION. SOME MICRO ORGANISMS THAT ARE ABLE TO DEGRADE TOXIC CHEMICALS ARE

• PSEUUDOMONAS DEGRADES TOXIC CHEMICALS LIKE HYDROCARBONS, BENZENE, NAPTHALENE AND ORGANOPHOSPHATES.
• ARTHROBACTER DEGRADES HYDROCARBONS, BENZENE, POLYCYCLIC AROMATICS.
• MYCROBACTERIUM DEGRADES CYCLOPARAFFINS AND AROMATICS MICROBIOLOGICAL DEGRADATION OF OIL SPILLS IS PRACTICAL USING A MIXTURE OF BACTERIAL STRAINS. IT IS ALSO USED FOR REMOVING GREASE DEPOSITED ON THE INNER SIDE OF THE TANKS IN OIL-CARRYING SHIPS.

MICROBIOLOGICAL DEGRADATION OF OIL SPILLS IS PRACTICAL USING A MIXTURE OF BACTERIAL STRAINS. IT IS ALSO USED FOR REMOVING GREASE DEPOSITED ON THE INNER SIDE OF THE TANKS IN OIL-CARRYING SHIPS.

MICRO ORGANISMS OR THEIR ENZYMES ARE USED IN POLLUTION ABATEMENT, BUT NOT ALL CONTAMINANTS ARE EASILY TREATED FOR EXAMPLE HEAVY METALS LIKE CADMIUM AND LEAD ARE NOT READILY ABSORBED OR CAPTURED BY THESE ORGANISMS. THE INTEGRATION ON OF METALS SUCH AS MERCURY IN THE FOOD CHAIN MAY MAKE THINGS WORSE AS ORGANISMS BIO-ACCUMULATE THESE METAL.

DISTRIBUTION OF GENETIC RICHNESS

THERE IS A HISTORICAL DISPROPORTION IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF PLANT SPECIES. THOSE THAT ARE NOW CALLED AS INDUSTRIALIZED, DEVELOPED NORTH COUNTRIES ARE HISTORICALLY GENE POOR. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE DEVELOPING SOUTH COUNTRIES ARE GENE RICH COUNTRIES. TILL SOME CENTURIES AGO, MUCH OF THE PLANT DIVERSITY WAS CONCENTRATED BETWEEN THE TWO TROPICS, WITH A VERY FEW PLANT SPECIES IN THE CONTINENTAL EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA.

OVER THE YEARS, THE PRESENT DAY DEVELOPED COUNTRIES HAVE NOT ONLY SUCCEEDED IN ACCLIMATIZING PLANT SPECIES FOR FOOD, FIBRE AND MEDICINAL NEEDS, BUT ALSO IMPROVED THEIR PRODUCTIVITY. DEVELOPING COUNTRIES CONTRIBUTE 96 PERCENT OF THE WORLD'S TONNAGE IN FOOD THROUGH INTER DEPENDENCE AMONG REGIONS OF GENETIC DIVERSITY AND REGIONS OF CROP PRODUCTIVITY.

THE WILD FORESTS CONTAIN A TREMENDOUS VARIETY OF BIODIVERSITY AND ECONOMICALLY USEFUL PLANTS. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF VARIETIES OF POTATOES, SWEET POTATOES, RICE, WITH UNEXPLORED GENETIC ABILITIES TO ADJUST TO NEW CLIMATES AND TO RESIST VARIOUS DISEASES. MOST OF THE CURRENTLY HIGH YIELDING RICE CULTIVARS HAVE BEEN MADE DISEASE RESISTANT BY THE TRANSFER OF RESISTANT GENES OBTAINED FROM AN INDIAN WILD RICE ORYZA NIVARA. HAD THIS ONE WILD INDIAN RICE BECOME EXTINCT BEFORE THE DISCOVERY OF ITS RESISTANT GENE, THE LOSS TO WOULD HAVE RUN INTO BILLIONS OF RUPEES PER YEAR THAT WOULD HAVE GONE ON PESTICIDES TO KILL THE PESTS.  WILD WHEAT HAS INCREASED THE PRODUCTION OF WHEAT TO THE TUNE OF 50 MILLION US DOLLARS ANNUALLY. A GENE FROM AN ETHIOPIAN BARLEY FOR RESISTANCE AGAINST YELLOW DWARF VIRUS HAS RESULTED IN THE SALE OF WHEAT GAINING 160 MILLION US DOLLARS ANNUALLY.