They enable animals and people to live. Plant communities, in other words vegetation, are the structural basis of the ecosystems that most animals and all people inhabit. Plants maintain the physical and chemical integrity of ecosystems. Plants provide us with food, medicines, timber, fibre and a host of other everyday products that sustain and enhance human life. These products, together with the considerable trade in ornamental plants, comprise a major portion of the world economy.
Plants are a finite and precious resource that requires efficient, wise and sustainable management.
Yet the genetic diversity between and within plant species is eroded each year. Plants uplift and inspire us . Steeped in myth and legend, they illuminate the rituals of birth, courtship, marriage and death. Plants ultimately depend upon all of us for protection. We have a deep moral responsibility to save and enhance Earth's plants and plant communities.