PLANT ECOLOGY

OVERVIEW 
Plant ecology is a subdiscipline of ecology which
studies the distribution and abundance of plants,
the effects of environmental factors upon the
abundance of plants, and the interactions among
and between plants and other organisms.
Forests are the most important of these natural
communities from the standpoint of area,
carbon content, annual carbon fixation, the
cycling of nutrient elements, and influence on
energy and water budgets, as well as being the
principal reservoir of biodiversity on land. 
PLANT
COMMUNITIE
S 
World biomes are based upon the type of
dominant plant. Plant distributions is
governed by a combination of historical
factors, ecophysiology and biotic
interactions. Plant communities are
broadly distributed into biomes based on
the form of the dominant plant species.
For example, grasslands are dominated
by grasses, while forests are dominated
by trees. Biomes are determined by
regional climates, mostly temperature
and precipitation, and follow general
latitudinal trends.
IMPORTANCE 
Plants supply food to nearly all terrestrial organisms, including humans.
We eat either plants or other organisms that eat plants. Plants maintain
the atmosphere. They produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide during
photosynthesis. Oxygen is essential for cellular respiration for all aerobic
organisms. It also maintains the ozone layer that helps protect Earth's
life from damaging UV radiation. Removal of carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere reduces the greenhouse effect and global warming. Plants
recycle matter in biogeochemical cycles. For example, through
transpiration, plants move enormous amounts of water from the soil to
the atmosphere. Plants such as peas host bacteria that fix nitrogen. This
makes nitrogen available to all plants, which pass it on to consumers.
Plants provide many products for human use, such as firewood, timber,
fibers, medicines, dyes, pesticides, oils, and rubber. Plants create
habitats for many organisms. A single tree may provide food and shelter
to many species of insects, small animals, birds, etc.
NATURAL FACTORS THAT
HAVE HARMFUL EFFECTS

NATURAL FACTORS
• LESS SUNLIGHT
• CHANGES IN TEMPERATURE 
• LOW WATER SUPPLY
HUMAN FACTORS
THAT HAVE
HARMFUL
EFFECTS
• DEFOREDEFORESTATION 
• ACID RAIN 
• GLOBAL WARMING
 PLANTS' EFFECT ON
THE ENVOIRMENT 
• Photosynthesis 

• Tropic levels

• Plants help make and preserve soil

• Other Environmental issues

• Forestry is another industry which is hurting plants

and food chains all over the planet. In the Congo,
thousands of acres of rainforest are being cut down
every year to produce paper and paper products.
This is greatly affecting the mountain Gorilla that
use the forest as their homes.

• Climate change is also affecting plants on a large

scale. Many plants in the world require a certain
range of temperature and humidity to live.
THANK YOU