My science Library Plants as Food Fuel and Medicine by Julie K Lundgren Science Content Editor Shirley Duke Rourke Educational Media rourkeeducationalmedia com Teacher Notes available at rem4teachers com
Useful Plants Earth’s first plants lived in oceans In the last 450 to 500 million years they developed forms allowing them to live on land Today more than 300,000 plants grow in Earth’s ecosystems They populate dry harsh deserts crashing oceans steep mountains icy tundras and everything in between 4 Any animal such as this Common Cactus-Finch that eats cactus stems must first find a way around the sharp spines
Plants have developed adaptations for living in different environments Cactus stems function as water storehouses while their prickly leaves serve as a defense against animals Ferns and mosses reproduce by making simple spores that rely on wind for distribution while flowering plants make seeds that have adaptations for distribution by animals too We use this incredible biodiversity of plant species for food fuel and medicine 5
