Only recently did scientists discover that a chemical called taxol, extracted from Pacific yew trees, is effective against a broad range of cancers. Scientists can only speculate at the countless other medicines that are out there waiting to be discovered. Agricultural researchers also tap this native gene pool. To improve and protect these vitally important food crops, scientists add genetic material from selected native species. These new genes improve resistance to diseases, insect pests, and drought.
Native plants are an integral part of all ecosystems.
Each species belongs to a carefully balanced system that supports other species. In a healthy ecosystem, plant and animal species interact to keep the system working properly. There is no way to know beforehand what the loss of even one species will mean to an ecosystem and,subsequently, to species such as humans who rely on that ecosystem. As described by E.O. Wilson, prominent Harvard entomologist, healthy ecosystems provide ecological services such as producing and filtering air, protecting water quality by controlling soil erosion, moderating floods and droughts, regulating insect pests and diseases, influencing regional climates, and many other functions that sustain life. When species are removed from the ecosystem, the delicate balance may shift, and the system may falter or fail.