ANOTHER LIFE FORM

Plants are intelligent forms of life who are capable of intention, preference, and a will to survive, thrive and interact. Scientific research indicates that plants communicatewith insects, animals, human beings and other plants in order to keep themselves alive and safe. Evidence also reveals that plants are telling us how to achieve health and wholeness for humanity and the earth herself.Plants Are Just Like PeopleIn research which spans more than 100 years, scientists have been documenting botanical adaptability and the amazing similarities that plants have with animals and people. Studies indicate that what metaphysicians, psychics, shaman, tribal people and sensitives worldwide have been saying about the plant kingdom for millennia is true: plants are intelligent beings who can communicate with us, and, we can communicate with them.Smart Strategies for SurvivalIn the book, "The Secret Life of Plants," authors Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird describe how plants "talk to" people and what plants "talk" about. Staying alive and safe tops the list.To protect themselves, plants have developed highly adaptive and strategic ways for living. According to the authors, "Plants seem to know which ants will steal their nectar, closing when these ants are about, opening only when there is enough dew on their stems to keep the ants from climbing. The more sophisticated acacia plant actually enlists the protective services of certain ants which it rewards with nectar in return for the ants' protection against other insects and herbivorous mammals," thus serving the same function as friends and allies do in the animal and human realms. Some vegetation develop a bitter taste, some ooze gummy secretions, while others grow thorns to defend themselves.Prickles for the PussyOnce plants feel safe, however, they may drop their need for defense. In one study, a scientist wanted to determine if cacti grow needles primarily for the purpose of keeping themselves from harm. Safely housed in a greenhouse, the scientist talked to numerous cacti assuring them that they were protected and at he cared about them. He encouraged the plants to feel even more secure by playing soothing music in the greenhouse. Withinseveral months the cacti dropped all their spikes. The offspring of these bare cacti were born without needles. Defenseless within this nurturing environment, the mature and new-born cacti prospered. After a period of a year of being without their protective quills, the cacti suddenly began re-growing their bristles and new baby sprouts were born with needles again. After some investigation, it was discovered that a house cat had found its way into the greenhouse. Suspecting that the cat may be the source of the perceived threat to the cacti causing the reemergence of their means of protection, the scientist blocked the cat's way of entry. Once the cacti sensed they were once again safe, all of the cacti dropped their prickly

A DEFINATION

Aristotle divided all living things between plants (which generally do not move), and animals (which often are mobile to catch their food). In Linnaeus' system, these became the Kingdoms Vegetabilia (later Metaphyta or Plantae) and Animalia (also called Metazoa). Since then, it has become clear that the Plantae as originally defined included several unrelated groups, and the fungi and several groups of Algae were removed to new kingdoms. However, these are still often considered plants in many contexts, both technical and popular. When the name Plantae or plants is applied to a specific taxon, it is usually referring to one of three concepts. From smallest to largest in inclusiveness, these three groupings are: Land plants, also known as Embryophyta or Metaphyta. As the narrowest of plant categories, this is further delineated below. Green plants - also known as Viridiplantae, Viridiphyta or Chlorobionta - comprise the above Embryophytes, Charophyta (i.e., primitive stoneworts), and Chlorophyta (i.e., green algae such as sea lettuce). It is this clade which is mainly the subject of this article. Archaeplastida - also known as Plantae sensu lato, Plastida or Primoplantae - comprises the green plants above, as well as Rhodophyta (red algae) and Glaucophyta (simple glaucophyte algae). As the broadest plant clade, this comprises most of the eukaryotes that eons ago acquired their chloroplasts directly by engulfing cyanobacteria. Informally, other creatures that carry out photosynthesis are called plants as well, but they do not constitute a formal taxon and represent species that are not closely related to true plants. There are around 375,000 species of plants, and each year more are found and described by science.

MUST SEEK KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PLANTS

Picking wild flowers, fruits, berries, mushrooms, herbs and other wild plants for culinary purposes is a very enjoyable leisure time activity. But it requires that you are absolutely sure you know about the plants you want to use. "Could be" or "looks like" is not enough. You must know exactly what you are picking, because many wild plants and plant parts are poisonous. So, if you are not sure, you should either leave the plant alone - or use a local flora or plant identification manual to find out. Pick your plants or plant parts early in the day or before the sun gets too hot. That's when they have the highest content of essential oils and other active constituents. According to many biodynamicists the phase of the moon also plays a role for when to pick. I don't know if this is true - but I know that some of the world's most recognized wine growers prune and harvest only around new moon. Get the most out of your plants To get the most out of your plants or plant parts, here are some general guidelines for when to pick: Roots - RhizomesBetween early autumn after the plants have died down and early spring before bloom. Leaves - StemsYoung but fully developed. Flowers - BlossomsFully developed buds or just opened. Fruits - BerriesFully ripe but not squishy.

AMAZONE

Amazon FactsThe Amazon river basin contains the largest rainforest on Earth and covers approximately 40% of the South American continent. The Amazon Rainforest is located within eight countries, Brazil contains 60% of the forest, with Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guyana containing the rest.The Amazon forest is a natural reservoir of genetic diversity, containing the largest and most species rich tract of tropical rainforest that exists. The Amazon contains an amazing thirty-percent of Earth's species. One square kilometre of Amazon can contain about 90,000 tons of living plants! It's also amazing to consider that one in five of all the birds in the world make the rainforest their home.The Amazon basin is drained by the Amazon river, the worlds second longest after the Nile and the river is essentially the lifeline of the forest. The river is the most voluminous on Earth.A few hundred years ago tropical rainforests covered as much as 12% of the Earth's land surface, but today the figure is less than 5%. The largest stretch of rainforest can be found in the Amazon river basin, over half of which lies in Brazil.Why is the Amazon so important in the context of global warming?The rainforest acts as a major store of Carbon and produces enormous amounts of oxygen. The Amazon has been referred to as "The lungs of the Earth" because of its affect on the climate. The way this is achieved is of course through photosynthesis, the process by which green plants/trees use the energy from sunlight to produce food by taking carbon dioxide (Co2) from the air and water and converting them to carbon. The by-product of this is oxygen.The Amazon therefore helps recycle carbon dioxide by turning it into oxygen, and its estimated that the Amazon produces about 20% of this essential gas for Earth's atmosphere.Trees, plants and Co2Levels of co2 in the atmosphere have been measured since 1958 from a monitoring station located on Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii and they show sharp annual increases and decreases in co2 levels, similar to the tooth on a saw. The readings almost mimic a breath of air being taken in and out; it's almost as if the Earth is breathing. The readings correspond to the amount of vegetation on the planet (most of which is contained in the Northern Hemisphere, as the landmass there is greater), taking in co2, and giving out oxygen. During the Northern Hemisphere summer, when the Earth is tilted toward the sun, the Earth's vegetation is able to photosynthesise resulting in an uptake of co2, causing worldwide co2 levels to drop. During winter, when the Earth's axis is tilted away from the sun, the opposite happens causing co2 levels to rise again.When one becomes aware of the correlation between the Earth's vegetation and co2 levels, it is easy to understand why the Amazon, and rainforests in general are such an important part of Earth's ecosystem. If global warming is to be tackled, the Amazon, and other rainforests must be saved

PLANT WORLD

Weeds are plants that grow where people do not want them. People have spread plants beyond their native ranges and some of these introduced plants become invasive, damaging existing ecosystems by displacing native species. Invasive plants cause billions of dollars in crop losses annually by displacing crop plants, they increase the cost of production and the use of chemical means to control them affects the environment.Plants may cause harm to people. Plants that produce windblown pollen invoke allergic reactions in people who suffer from hay fever. A wide variety of plants are poisonous. Several plants cause skin irritations when touched, such as poison ivy. Certain plants contain psychotropic chemicals, which are extracted and ingested or smoked, including tobacco, cannabis (marijuana), cocaine and opium, causing damage to health or even death.[21][22] Both illegal and legal drugs derived from plants have negative effects on the economy, affecting worker productivity and law enforcement costs.[23][24] Some plants cause allergic reactions in people and animals when ingested, while other plants cause food intolerances that negatively affect health.Weeds are plants that grow where people do not want them. People have spread plants beyond their native ranges and some of these introduced plants become invasive, damaging existing ecosystems by displacing native species. Invasive plants cause billions of dollars in crop losses annually by displacing crop plants, they increase the cost of production and the use of chemical means to control them affects the environment.Plants may cause harm to people. Plants that produce windblown pollen invoke allergic reactions in people who suffer from hay fever. A wide variety of plants are poisonous. Several plants cause skin irritations when touched, such as poison ivy. Certain plants contain psychotropic chemicals, which are extracted and ingested or smoked, including tobacco, cannabis (marijuana), cocaine and opium, causing damage to health or even death.[21][22] Both illegal and legal drugs derived from plants have negative effects on the economy, affecting worker productivity and law enforcement costs.[23][24] Some plants cause allergic reactions in people and animals when ingested, while other plants cause food intolerances that negatively affect health.

SOME OF THE DISADVANTAGES

Weeds are plants that grow where people do not want them. People have spread plants beyond their native ranges and some of these introduced plants become invasive, damaging existing ecosystems by displacing native species. Invasive plants cause billions of dollars in crop losses annually by displacing crop plants, they increase the cost of production and the use of chemical means to control them affects the environment.
Plants may cause harm to people. Plants that produce windblown pollen invoke allergic reactions in people who suffer from hay fever. A wide variety of plants are poisonous. Several plants cause skin irritations when touched, such as poison ivy. Certain plants contain psychotropic chemicals, which are extracted and ingested or smoked, including tobacco, cannabis (marijuana), cocaine and opium, causing damage to health or even death.[21][22] Both illegal and legal drugs derived from plants have negative effects on the economy, affecting worker productivity and law enforcement costs.[23][24] Some plants cause allergic reactions in people and animals when ingested, while other plants cause food intolerances that negatively affect health.

RELATING ECOLOGICALLY

Numerous animals have coevolved with plants. Many animals pollinate flowers in exchange for food in the form of pollen or nectar. Many animals disperse seeds, often by eating fruit and passing the seeds in their feces. Myrmecophytes are plants that have coevolved with ants. The plant provides a home, and sometimes food, for the ants. In exchange, the ants defend the plant from herbivores and sometimes competing plants. Ant wastes provide organic fertilizer.
The majority of plant species have various kinds of fungi associated with their root systems in a kind of mutualistic symbiosis known as mycorrhiza. The fungi help the plants gain water and mineral nutrients from the soil, while the plant gives the fungi carbohydrates manufactured in photosynthesis. Some plants serve as homes for endophytic fungi that protect the plant from herbivores by producing toxins. The fungal endophyte, Neotyphodium coenophialum, in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) does tremendous economic damage to the cattle industry in the U.S.
Various forms of parasitism are also fairly common among plants, from the semi-parasitic mistletoe that merely takes some nutrients from its host, but still has photosynthetic leaves, to the fully parasitic broomrape and toothwort that acquire all their nutrients through connections to the roots of other plants, and so have no chlorophyll. Some plants, known as myco-heterotrophs, parasitize mycorrhizal fungi, and hence act as epiparasites on other plants.
Many plants are epiphytes, meaning they grow on other plants, usually trees, without parasitizing them. Epiphytes may indirectly harm their host plant by intercepting mineral nutrients and light that the host would otherwise receive. The weight of large numbers of epiphytes may break tree limbs. Many orchids, bromeliads, ferns and mosses often grow as epiphytes. Bromeliad epiphytes accumulate water in leaf axils to form phytotelmata, complex aquatic food webs.[20]
A few plants are carnivorous, such as the Venus flytrap and sundew. They trap small animals and digest them to obtain mineral nutrients, especially nitrogen.
NOTE: Potato plant. Potatoes spread to the rest of the world after European contact with the Americas in the late 1400s and early 1500s and have since become an important field crop.
Timber in storage for later processing at a sawmill.
A section of a Yew branch showing 27 annual growth rings, pale sapwood and dark heartwood, and pith (centre dark spot). The dark radial lines are small knots.
The study of plant uses by people is termed economic botany or ethnobotany; some consider economic botany to focus on modern cultivated plants, while ethnobotany focuses on indigenous plants by native peoples. Human cultivation of plants is part of agriculture, which is the basis of human civilization. Plant agriculture is subdivided into agronomy, horticulture and forestry.

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Most of the solid material in a plant is taken from the atmosphere. Through a process known as photosynthesis, plants use the energy in sunlight to convert carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, plus water, into simple sugars. These sugars are then used as building blocks and form the main structural component of the plant. Chlorophyll, a green-colored, magnesium-containing pigment is essential to this process; it is generally present in plant leaves, and often in other plant parts as well.
Plants rely on soil primarily for support and water (in quantitative terms), but also obtain compounds of nitrogen, phosphorus, and other crucial elemental nutrients. For the majority of plants to grow successfully they also require oxygen in the atmosphere and around their roots for respiration. However, some plants grow as submerged aquatics, using oxygen dissolved in the surrounding water, and a few specialized vascular plants, such as mangroves, can grow with their roots in anoxic conditions.

The leaf is the primary site of photosynthesis in plants.

Factors affecting growth
The genotype of a plant affects its growth, for example selected varieties of wheat grow rapidly, maturing within 110 days, whereas others, in the same environmental conditions, grow more slowly and mature within 155 days.[17]
Growth is also determined by environmental factors, such as temperature, available water, available light, and available nutrients in the soil. Any change in the availability of these external conditions will be reflected in the plants growth.
Biotic factors (living organisms) also affect plant growth.
Plants compete with other plants for space, water, light and nutrients. Plants can be so crowded that no single individual makes normal growth.[17]
Many plants rely on birds and insects to effect pollination.
Grazing animals may affect vegetation.
Soil fertility is influenced by the activity of bacteria and fungi.
Bacteria, fungi, viruses, nematodes and insects can parasitise plants.
Some plant roots require an association with fungi to maintain normal activity (mycorrhizal association).[17]
Simple plants like algae may have short life spans as individuals, but their populations are commonly seasonal. Other plants may be organized according to their seasonal growth pattern:
Annual: live and reproduce within one growing season.
Biennial: live for two growing seasons; usually reproduce in second year.
Perennial: live for many growing seasons; continue to reproduce once mature.
Among the vascular plants, perennials include both evergreens that keep their leaves the entire year, and deciduous plants which lose their leaves for some part of it. In temperate and boreal climates, they generally lose their leaves during the winter; many tropical plants lose their leaves during the dry season.
The growth rate of plants is extremely variable. Some mosses grow less than 0.001 mm/h, while most trees grow 0.025-0.250 mm/h. Some climbing species, such as kudzu, which do not need to produce thick supportive tissue, may grow up to 12.5 mm/h.
Plants protect themselves from frost and dehydration stress with antifreeze proteins, heat-shock proteins and sugars (sucrose is common). LEA (Late Embryogenesis Abundant) protein expression is induced by stresses and protects other proteins from aggregation as a result of desiccation and freezing.[18]

PLANT FOSSILS

Plant fossils include roots, wood, leaves, seeds, fruit, pollen, spores, phytoliths, and amber (the fossilized resin produced by some plants). Fossil land plants are recorded in terrestrial, lacustrine, fluvial and nearshore marine sediments. Pollen, spores and algae (dinoflagellates and acritarchs) are used for dating sedimentary rock sequences. The remains of fossil plants are not as common as fossil animals, although plant fossils are locally abundant in many regions worldwide.
The earliest fossils clearly assignable to Kingdom Plantae are fossil green algae from the Cambrian. These fossils resemble calcified multicellular members of the Dasycladales. Earlier Precambrian fossils are known which resemble single-cell green algae, but definitive identity with that group of algae is uncertain.
The oldest known fossils of embryophytes date from the Ordovician, though such fossils are fragmentary. By the Silurian, fossils of whole plants are preserved, including the lycophyte Baragwanathia longifolia. From the Devonian, detailed fossils of rhyniophytes have been found. Early fossils of these ancient plants show the individual cells within the plant tissue. The Devonian period also saw the evolution of what many believe to be the first modern tree, Archaeopteris. This fern-like tree combined a woody trunk with the fronds of a fern, but produced no seeds.
The Coal Measures are a major source of Palaeozoic plant fossils, with many groups of plants in existence at this time. The spoil heaps of coal mines are the best places to collect; coal itself is the remains of fossilised plants, though structural detail of the plant fossils is rarely visible in coal. In the Fossil Forest at Victoria Park in Glasgow, Scotland, the stumps of Lepidodendron trees are found in their original growth positions.
The fossilized remains of conifer and angiosperm roots, stems and branches may be locally abundant in lake and inshore sedimentary rocks from the Mesozoic and Caenozoic eras. Sequoia and its allies, magnolia, oak, and palms are often found.
Petrified wood is common in some parts of the world, and is most frequently found in arid or desert areas where it is more readily exposed by erosion. Petrified wood is often heavily silicified (the organic material replaced by silicon dioxide), and the impregnated tissue is often preserved in fine detail. Such specimens may be cut and polished using lapidary equipment. Fossil forests of petrified wood have been found in all continents.
Fossils of seed ferns such as Glossopteris are widely distributed throughout several continents of the southern hemisphere, a fact that gave support to Alfred Wegener's early ideas regarding Continental drift theory.

PHYLOGENY

A proposed phylogeny of the Plantae after Kenrick and Crane[15] is as follows, with modification to the Pteridophyta from Smith et al.[16] The Prasinophyceae may be a paraphyletic basal group to all green plants.
Prasinophyceae (micromonads)
Streptobionta
Embryophytes
Stomatophytes
Polysporangiates
Tracheophytes
Eutracheophytes
Euphyllophytina
Lignophytia
Spermatophytes (seed plants)
Progymnospermophyta
Pteridophyta
Pteridopsida (true ferns)
Marattiopsida
Equisetopsida (horsetails)
Psilotopsida (whisk ferns & adders'-tongues)
Cladoxylopsida
Lycophytina
Lycopodiophyta
Zosterophyllophyta
Rhyniophyta
Aglaophyton
Horneophytopsida
Bryophyta (mosses)
Anthocerotophyta (hornworts)
Marchantiophyta (liverworts)
Charophyta
Chlorophyta
Trebouxiophyceae (Pleurastrophyceae)
Chlorophyceae
Ulvophyceae

A proposed phylogeny of the Plantae after Kenrick and Crane[15] is as follows, with modification to the Pteridophyta from Smith et al.[16] The Prasinophyceae may be a paraphyletic basal group to all green plants.
Prasinophyceae (micromonads)
Streptobionta
Embryophytes
Stomatophytes
Polysporangiates
Tracheophytes
Eutracheophytes
Euphyllophytina
Lignophytia
Spermatophytes (seed plants)
Progymnospermophyta
Pteridophyta
Pteridopsida (true ferns)
Marattiopsida
Equisetopsida (horsetails)
Psilotopsida (whisk ferns & adders'-tongues)
Cladoxylopsida
Lycophytina
Lycopodiophyta
Zosterophyllophyta
Rhyniophyta
Aglaophyton
Horneophytopsida
Bryophyta (mosses)
Anthocerotophyta (hornworts)
Marchantiophyta (liverworts)
Charophyta
Chlorophyta
Trebouxiophyceae (Pleurastrophyceae)
Chlorophyceae
Ulvophyceae

STEPS TO BE TAKEN TO SAVE PLANTION GLOBALY

To save our planet the world must take immediate action to protect the environment, like: * Reduce air pollution from industry, power plants and vehicles.* Decrease the use of pesticides by researching safer ways of controlling plant diseases and pests, like biological control.* Find clean and more efficient energy sources to replace dangerous petroleum and its terrible alternative - coal.* Discover new solutions for the disposal of wastes of all kind, including chemical residues from industry and garbage. * Bring to maximal efficiency water consumption, for home, industry and agriculture. * Stop the burning of the Amazon rain forests and the destruction of rare species.* Find ways of implementing birth control in overpopulated countries. How can this be doneTo do so, huge amounts of money are needed for research and development, as well as for the compensation of underdeveloped countries for various actions they may have to take. In addition, countries all over the world will have to issue and enforce strict laws for the protection of the environment. The question is, how can such acquiescence be achieved among so many different nations and interests? How can laws and restrictions be forced on people whose primary interest is personal survival - and what is the way to convince industries and farmers to invest fortunes in expensive devices for protecting the environment?The only way to achieve these aims is by reaching a worldwide consensus for a global effective action towards the common goal of saving civilization and the planet. There is a need for combined efforts of all nations through understanding and agreement, as well as a central authority to initiate and control such an operation.Conditions for such an outcome are ripe today more than ever before, because of the growing influence of the U.S. in the world and the weakening animosity between East and West.Is it really going to happen?Will governments consent to giving up their power and obeying a central authority? Will politicians relinquish their ambitious struggle for position and influence and adopt responsibility for the future of the world? I believe they will, but only through the demand and pressure of the masses on governments and parliaments. Such action must be taken everywhere, through the establishment of national associations for the protection of the planet. Some people rightly ask, why should we worry about something that may happen in perhaps another 70-80 years. Are we the planet's or the civilization's keepers? - and who can really be sure that this prophecy of doom will actually happen? No one has precise answers to these questions. But what if the warnings are real and civilization - God's wonderful creation which took 3,5 billion years of evolution to develop - disappears forever? Can we jeopardize the future of our children and grandchildren? We are here now, and it is our prime task and duty to find the answers and solutions for the well-being of the coming generations.__________________________________

SAVE PLANTS SAVE EARTH

The U.S. Russia and other developed countries spend tremendous amounts of money in recent years for the study of the planets in the solar system and beyond. These expenses seem superfluous considering the imminent dangers facing civilization from pollution, intensive exploitation of the limited natural resources and overpopulation.The most expensive Hubble Space Telescope and the hipper expensive manned spaceships may provide us with new information on the Universe. These and similar sophisticated means, however, will not help us find the answers to the Big question of our time: How Long Will Civilization Survive if Destruction of the Planet's Environment goes on?According to environmental scientists, life on our small but perhaps unique planet Earth may come to an end in the next 70-80 years. They attribute this danger to the tremendous technological development, which upsets nature's equilibrium and the dramatic growth of human population. The factors that endanger life on earth are mainly:1. Contamination of the soil and water resources by monstrous amounts of industrial and home garbage, as well as by pesticides and chemical fertilizers used intensively in modern agriculture.2. Damage to the protective ozone layer by mainly CFC (Chloro-Fluoro-Carbon) gases.3. Green House Effect, caused by the excess, in the atmosphere, of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other gases generated by industry, agriculture, automobiles and electric power plants. 4. Acid Rain, caused by the release by industrial plants and vehicles of significant quantities of pollutants into the air. 5. The release of poisonous gases to the atmosphere and the destruction of rare species of plants and animals by burning of forests throughout the world, especially the rain forests.6. Dramatic growth of human population, which constitute perhaps the most scaring factor of all. Human population, consisting today of almost 7 billion people, compared with only 2 billion in 1930, may grow in about 40 years to the scaring number of 10 billion. The many millions born every year must fight for their survival. They therefore use water resources to the limit, exploit the scarce natural resources and burn forests for fuel and for agricultural cultivation.

GLOBAL WARMING

The phrase global warming is a term that has been in common usage for some time and usually refers to the warming of Earth's atmosphere, and which also implies a manmade or human influence.Earth's atmosphere is comprised of many gases, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and water vapour to name a few. These gases are collectively called greenhouse gases and they keep the Earth's temperature at a comfortable 15 degrees Celsius, without them Earth would be a chilly - 18 degrees Celsius. Since pre-industrial times, usually taken to be around 1750 we know from ice core records that Co2 levels were around 280 ppm, that's 280 parts of Co2 per million parts of air. As industrialisation got underway mankind started to farm the land more intensely than ever before, deforest for agriculture and settlements, and later since around 1850 or so, burn fossil fuels for energy and transport which have added considerably to greenhouse gas levels, particularly Co2.This has resulted in Co2 levels increasing to around 385 ppm, an increase of around 37% from pre-industrial levels mainly as a result of burning fossil fuels.How do we know this? Well, data from ice core records that go back at least 650,000 years now show us that Co2 levels have fluctuated naturally during this time between 280 and 300 ppm. Co2 levels have also been measured accurately from the top of Mauna Loa Volcano in Hawaii since 1958, and results show an increase in Co2 levels from 315 ppm to 385 ppm since that time. Therefore Co2 is now at 85 ppm more than it has been for at least 650,000 years of Earth's history. It is a known scientific fact that higher levels of greenhouse gases will lead to higher temperatures, which appears to be happening now. The world has warmed by an average of 0.74 degrees during the last 100 years or so.As a result of this warming, polar ice has started to decrease and melt, and so are Earth's land based glaciers. This in turn is causing sea levels to rise which is putting low lying islands at risk of flooding or total submersion, and will eventually threaten more and more of the worlds coastal cities and regions.As Earth's atmosphere starts to warm, the warming itself may cause further positive feedback mechanisms to kick in. A warmer atmosphere holds more water vapour, which is itself a powerful greenhouse gas. This will in turn cause further warming, and so on.Melting ice means that more sunlight is absorbed by the surrounding "darker" water and land, meaning further warming, and more melting ice. Methane deposits currently held in a frozen but stable state under the sea and under the permafrost maybe released as the oceans warm and permafrost melts, which will cause further warming as methane is a potent greenhouse gas etc etc.Where better place to start this A-Z journey on global warming than with The Amazon Rainforest, which has an incredibly important role to play in maintaining a balance in the Earth's climate. The Amazon is inextricably linked to the issue of global warming and has a considerable influence on Earth's

SEA PLANTS

Our Earth’s surface is covered by water up to 71%. Even thought the ocean’s surface is exploited for fishing, transportation and scientific researches, the deepest part of the world’s oceans continues to be untouched by any humans. The deepest seas has many untold mysteries, legends and stories which keep Mankind asking for more and searching for answers for thousands of questions.The deep sea is the part of the ocean below a depth of 200 metres that is in permanent darkness. The abyss, with an average depth of 3.8 kilometres, is the most common environment on Earth.The sea floor is covered by vast plains of soft sediments made up of fine detritus and particles that drift down from the surface. The water is cold because it comes from the polar regions, and its weight puts considerable pressure on life at the bottom of the sea.Although the deep sea floor has no plants, our studies show that it is extremely diverse in animal species, often having many more than shallow water. For example, a shallow water area may have only 10 - 20 species of isopod crustaceans, while some deep sea habitats have more than 100 species.Deep sea animals are similar worldwide. However, most species are highly endemic and limited to small parts of large, seemingly continuous ocean basins.Because most of us don't have much to do with the deep sea, we often mistreat it. Damage and changes to this environment may last for decades, centuries or even longer. Some things that might damage the deep sea environment are: human rubbish from passing ships, deep ocean mining and drilling, deep sea disposal of liquified carbon dioxide extracted from power plants and global warming.Deepseawaters ResearchNOAA's Undersea Research Program is a comprehensive underwater research program that supports NOAA's mission by providing scientists with the support, tools, and expertise necessary to conduct undersea research of regional, national, and global importance. Of special interest to NURP is research focused on NOAA's management responsibilities in corals, fisheries, and other seafloor ecosystems. NURP is also involved in advancing marine biotechnology through its National Institute for Undersea Science and Technology's (NIUST) National Repository of marine natural products. This repository represents the first intensive survey/sampling of U.S. coral reef organisms that are screened in-house for biomedical and agrochemical potential; and are available to qualified researchers for further biotechnology studies.

PLANTS AS A NUTRIOUS FOOD

Even though many herbal medicines have not yet found scientific validation in the West, it is only logic that people wouldn't use a product for hundreds of years if it didn't work. Many of the herbs known for having great health benefits were just recently considered pretty exotic, even green tea. It is likely that this will happen the same way with herbs from the Amazon basin, one of the most bountiful environments on the planet. It has been looked to by explorers and botanists for "the next big thing," which will have been in use by those in the Amazon basin for centuries.Maca, which as been cultivated for at least 2000 years by the Andean people in Peru's central highlands, is related to the brassica family, which includes radishes, mustard and cabbage. Although its foliage appears somewhat like a radish, maca grows close to the ground. Maca contains numerous beneficial compounds that increase overall health and vitality. The cultivation of maca dates back to Incan sites in 1600 B.C. During early European colonization, maca was used by the local natives as a form of currency. Maca is found thriving between 10,000 and 16,000 feet and seems to grow better in harsher conditions. Efforts to grow the plant in Central Europe have been unsuccessful, as maca seems to enjoy its home turf best. Maca is popular in Peru, a beloved super food that is commonly powdered and mixed into drinks. Maca is a natural energizer, known mainly for its libido enhancing abilities. However, it does have other uses, as it can act as an adaptogen like rhodiola or ginseng providing many similar benefits. Maca is recommended for its ability to boost the immune system, and support menopause and hormonal balance in general. Maca is most recognized as a great source of energy and endurance for daily use, as alkaloids from maca root are partially responsible for its affects on the hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPA). These alkaloids, along with compounds called macamides and macaenes, have been boosting energy and overall aphrodisiac prowess in men and women for over 2000 years. Other reasons maca is such an excellent plant includes its isothiocyanates which may reduce risk of breast and stomach cancer.Guarana, widely loved for its mild stimulating effect due to caffeine, has many benefits. This herb is so logically ingrained in the culture of Brazil that it actually out-sells Coca-Cola in its soft drink form. Like other herbs, guarana was in use locally way before European settlement. Its Latin name, Paullinia cupana, comes from the German botanist C.F. Paullini who first encountered it in the 1700s. This evergreen vine can be found climbing up the Brazilian forest trees, however the seed is the only part used. Clinical studies have proven that guarana boosted memory alertness in participants, even when the caffeine level per dose was as low as 9 mg, compared to the 100 mg found in a cup of coffee, proving that agents other than caffeine contribute to a feeling of well-being. Guarana contains many antioxidants which include: catechin, epicatechin, and proanthocyanidins that protect cells against destruction from free radicals and give benefits to the body's tissues and blood.Catuaba Bark, a common tree found in South America, contains components known as alkaloids which are responsible for the mental boost most people get when they take catuabe-based supplements and mixes. Because various species and genus types use the common name, there may be a little confusion regarding catuaba. Read labels carefully to find Erythroxylum catuaba, which has shown the best results in clinical studies.Many people consider coffee an essential part of their morning. The part of coffee that we use the most is the seed of the coffee fruit, appearing as a bright, red berry. Because it is so delicate and cannot last long in hot conditions, most of the time the fruit is left behind in the process of making coffee. However, advances in technology have tapped the previously discarded resource. Current research of coffee fruit shows its impressive abilities to decrease tumor size and possibly prevent their formation in the first place. It seems that the elements in the coffee berry activate T-lymphocytes, causing mammary tumors to be shrunk or simply put on hold.Muira puama, which grows between 15 to 45 feet high, is native to the Amazon basin of Brazil. The dried bark has been used for centuries for its energy support with components including beta-sitositerol, campesterol, and lupeol. Like other central nervous stimulants, muira puama has an ability to boost memory retrieval and protect brain tissue. This traditional ingredient could someday be fighting Alzheimer's the way green tea and turmeric are currently. In a published French study 262 men with low libido and poor erectile function were told to take an extract of Muira puama. This resulted in 62% experiencing

EXOTIC PLANTS

Even though many herbal medicines have not yet found scientific validation in the West, it is only logic that people wouldn't use a product for hundreds of years if it didn't work. Many of the herbs known for having great health benefits were just recently considered pretty exotic, even green tea. It is likely that this will happen the same way with herbs from the Amazon basin, one of the most bountiful environments on the planet. It has been looked to by explorers and botanists for "the next big thing," which will have been in use by those in the Amazon basin for centuries.Maca, which as been cultivated for at least 2000 years by the Andean people in Peru's central highlands, is related to the brassica family, which includes radishes, mustard and cabbage. Although its foliage appears somewhat like a radish, maca grows close to the ground. Maca contains numerous beneficial compounds that increase overall health and vitality. The cultivation of maca dates back to Incan sites in 1600 B.C. During early European colonization, maca was used by the local natives as a form of currency. Maca is found thriving between 10,000 and 16,000 feet and seems to grow better in harsher conditions. Efforts to grow the plant in Central Europe have been unsuccessful, as maca seems to enjoy its home turf best. Maca is popular in Peru, a beloved super food that is commonly powdered and mixed into drinks. Maca is a natural energizer, known mainly for its libido enhancing abilities. However, it does have other uses, as it can act as an adaptogen like rhodiola or ginseng providing many similar benefits. Maca is recommended for its ability to boost the immune system, and support menopause and hormonal balance in general. Maca is most recognized as a great source of energy and endurance for daily use, as alkaloids from maca root are partially responsible for its affects on the hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPA). These alkaloids, along with compounds called macamides and macaenes, have been boosting energy and overall aphrodisiac prowess in men and women for over 2000 years. Other reasons maca is such an excellent plant includes its isothiocyanates which may reduce risk of breast and stomach cancer.Guarana, widely loved for its mild stimulating effect due to caffeine, has many benefits. This herb is so logically ingrained in the culture of Brazil that it actually out-sells Coca-Cola in its soft drink form. Like other herbs, guarana was in use locally way before European settlement. Its Latin name, Paullinia cupana, comes from the German botanist C.F. Paullini who first encountered it in the 1700s. This evergreen vine can be found climbing up the Brazilian forest trees, however the seed is the only part used. Clinical studies have proven that guarana boosted memory alertness in participants, even when the caffeine level per dose was as low as 9 mg, compared to the 100 mg found in a cup of coffee, proving that agents other than caffeine contribute to a feeling of well-being. Guarana contains many antioxidants which include: catechin, epicatechin, and proanthocyanidins that protect cells against destruction from free radicals and give benefits to the body's tissues and blood.Catuaba Bark, a common tree found in South America, contains components known as alkaloids which are responsible for the mental boost most people get when they take catuabe-based supplements and mixes. Because various species and genus types use the common name, there may be a little confusion regarding catuaba. Read labels carefully to find Erythroxylum catuaba, which has shown the best results in clinical studies.Many people consider coffee an essential part of their morning. The part of coffee that we use the most is the seed of the coffee fruit, appearing as a bright, red berry. Because it is so delicate and cannot last long in hot conditions, most of the time the fruit is left behind in the process of making coffee. However, advances in technology have tapped the previously discarded resource. Current research of coffee fruit shows its impressive abilities to decrease tumor size and possibly prevent their formation in the first place. It seems that the elements in the coffee berry activate T-lymphocytes, causing mammary tumors to be shrunk or simply put on hold.Muira puama, which grows between 15 to 45 feet high, is native to the Amazon basin of Brazil. The dried bark has been used for centuries for its energy support with components including beta-sitositerol, campesterol, and lupeol. Like other central nervous stimulants, muira puama has an ability to boost memory retrieval and protect brain tissue. This traditional ingredient could someday be fighting Alzheimer's the way green tea and turmeric are currently. In a published French study 262 men with low libido and poor erectile function were told to take an extract of Muira puama. This resulted in 62% experiencing

PLANT & MUSIC

Through their animated responses to classical and heavy rock music, plants further divulge their preferences. In studies of plants exposed to heavy rock music, the plants not only grew away from the music source, but some grew either abnormally tall and put out excessively small leaves or remained stunted. In some cases the plants died. When classical music was played to the plants, the plants grew toward the music source with healthy growth. The same plants, marigolds, who died when listening to rock music, flowered when listening to classical music. The authors report, "the rock-stimulated plants were using much more water than the classically entertained vegetation, butapparently enjoying it less, since examination of the roots revealed that soil root growth was sparse in the rock group, whereas in the classical group, root growth was thick, tangled and about four times as long."In India, Dr. T. C. Singh, in his studies of music and plants, stated that he had "proven beyond any shadow of doubt that harmonic sound waves affect the growth, flowering, fruiting and seed-yield of plants." Singh also reported that girls dancing India's most ancient dance style accelerated the growth of daisies, marigolds and petunias. The dancing caused them to flower much earlier than the control group of plants, presumably because of the rhythm of the footwork transmitted through the earth.Plant Devas Caught on Camera!Kirlian photography is now able to verify the existence of living, changing light radiating from plants. And many "seers" and scientists have seen light emanations and moving forms coming from plants. Hindu sages refer to devas. Clairvoyants and other sensitives are able to directly see and communicate with the fairies, elves, gnomes, sylphs and other creatures which live in and among plants.Tompkins and Bird conclude, "Evidence now supports the vision that plants are living, breathing, communicating creatures, endowed with personality and the attributes of soul."

CAN PLANTS MOVE

In order to stay alive, plants have learned to move and do so in remarkable fashion, for extraordinary purposes and with high, extra-sensory intelligence. "Plants," says Viennese biologist, Raoul France "move their bodies as freely, easily and gracefully as the most skilled animal or human, and the only reason we don' t appreciate the fact is that plants do so at a much slower pace than humans. A climbing plant. which needs a prop, will creep toward the nearest support. Should this support be shifted, the vine, within a few hours, will change its course into a new direction." Plants will even grow towards a support that's hidden from view. France continues, "Plants are capable of intent: they can stretch toward, or seek out, what they want in ways as mysterious as the most fantastic creations of romance."As Thomkins and Bird relate, "Some parasitical plants can recognize the slightest trace of the odor of their victim and will overcome all obstacles to crawl in its direction."

PLANTS WITH FEELINGS

Plants respond not only to insects and animals but to human emotion and intention. Plants can distinguish between people who are feel kindly towards them and people who don't, and our green friends cooperate with people they like. In one experiment a new scientist came to study some test plants. Surprisingly, these test plants which previously had been very responsive, were completely non-responsive during the new scientist's tests. Investigating the change in the plants' response, it was discovered that the new scientist incinerated his plants in his own personal research once his tests were completed. Shortlyafter the new scientist left, the plants again began registering activity and cooperating.In another study, scientists found that vegetation reacted negatively to people who found the plants unattractive, even to the extent that the plants would "faint." When over stimulated by emotions, plants will "go unconscious" or numb and can stay " moody" for weeks. Scientific studies show that once plants attune themselves to a particular person, they are able to maintain a link with that person, no matter how far away. Theseplants register "knowing" not only when a person is returning to the plants, but when the person makes the decision to return. Other reports show that plants respond to people talking to them in a caring, loving manner, such as asking a tree to radically change its growth direction so that it won't have to be cut, or asking weeds not to grow excessively in a vegetable garden.

USING PLANTS AS MEDICINE

In the Amazonian tradition working with planta maestras (teacher plants) is known as the Shaman’s Diet. The working can be seen as a conscious body of actions to incorporate the plant spirit into one’s own spirit. From this incorporation or union, the plant spirit informs and teaches the maestro or apprentice. They learn the magical chants (icaros) which invoke the power of the plant, how to use the plant for healing purposes, and how to strengthen the dieter both psychologically and physically. The purpose of the diet is to prepare the body and nervous system for the powerful knowledge and expansion of consciousness given by teacher plants.It offers a significant challenge for the rational Western mind to come to terms with the teacher plants, and a leap of imagination is required to incorporate the ‘other’ consciousness, or spirit of the plant. We also have a ‘linguistic’ limitation (as an analogue the Inuit have over fifty distinct words for snow), in that the word ‘shaman’ is very recent to the Amazon, coming via the Western world in the last 20 – 30 years. There are many words which denote the plant specialisation of the maestro or Vegetalista. Benjamin Ochavano a 70 year old Shipibo Vegetalista says that his father was known as a moraya or banco (healer), in Spanish it was a curandero. A curandero could then further specialise in a particular plant such as chonta (bamboo) and be a chontero. For example a curandero who specialises in smells and perfumes would be a perfumero. Another challenge to our rational mind to enter the magical world to which we are transported by plants is that it is mainly accessible through dream language or an expansion of the imagination. Thus dreams & our imaginative powers act like doorways during a plant diet and connect us with the plant spirit.The rational mind can only struggle, to take as an example the famed ‘love potion’ of the Amazon known as the Pusanga. In rational terms it makes no sense whatsoever, how can a concoction of leaves, roots, and seeds attract a lover, or good luck to you? My experience working with shamans in preparing Pusangas (which normally is prepared away from their clients so it was a privilege to be invited to participate in the preparation) showed me that far from interfering with the freedom of other individuals or putting a ‘number’ on them, we were altering something within ourselves, which was brought out by the ingredients, the magic of the plants. Whatever it was, it felt wholesome and good. It is what is in oneself… one’s own magic. Asking Javier Arevalo (the shaman) what does the Pusanga actually do, is it inside us or outside of us? His response was “When you pour it onto your skin it begins to penetrate your spirit, and the spirit is what gives you the force to pull the people. The spirit is what pulls”. The anthropological term ‘sympathetic magic’ does not give this justice, to illustrate this, the water used in the preparation of an authentic pusanga (which has been specifically made for you) has been collected from a deep trek in the rainforest, sometimes 40 or 50 miles, where there are no people and where clay pools collect and thousands of the most beautiful coloured parrots and macaws gather to drink from them for the mineral content. Now the great leap of imagination required is to bring into yourself the knowledge, the feeling, the sense that the water in the Pusanga has drawn in or attracted thousands of the most brightly coloured creatures on the planet. If you do this, it can generate a shift in consciousness in you. You can sample this for yourself, just find a quiet moment and space, close your eyes, and with the power of your imagination as the launch pad, draw in the verdant, abundant forest filled with life, colour, and sound. Sense the rich vibrancy of the rainforest as a single breathing rhythmic totality of life force. When you have this image, expand it to include, the humid warmth, the smell of earth, the scent of plants, hear the sound of insects and bird song, allow all your senses to experience this. Then with a conscious decision draw this sensory experience into your being. Whenever you are ready, open your eyes, and check how you are feeling. Maestros do not invent diets, they are given by the plant spirits themselves, but there is more to it than simply abstaining from certain foods and activities. It involves a state of purification, retreat, commitment, and respect for our connection with everything around us - above all the rain forest. When we listen to our dreams, they become more real, and equally important as everyday life. The shamans work with the power of the plants in many ways, the colours of the flowers, the perfume, their shape, form, and associations. To illustrate this, another maestro Artiduro Aro Cardenas remarks;‘A smell has the power to attract. I can also make smells to attract business, people who buy. You just rub it on your face and it brings in the people to your business, if you are selling, people come to buy. I also make perfumes for love, and others for flourishing. These are the forces of nature, what I do is give it direction with my breath so it has effect. I use my experience of the plants which I have dieted. I have a relation with the plants and with the patient; I can’t make these things on a commercial scale.When I diet I take in the strength of the plant and it stays with me. Later I find the illness or suffering of the person or what it is they want, and the plant guides me and tells me if it is the right one for that person, and I cure them’He also (as do many maestros) works with the plants not only to heal illnesses but to resolve domestic and family problems;‘I get people coming for help to give up drug addiction, people with family problems, supposing the man has gone off and left his family, the Mama is here with me and the Papa is far away. I pull him back so he returns to his home so that the family can consolidate again. In a short time he will be thinking of his children and his wife, and he comes back. I don’t need to have the actual plants in front of me, I call the plant spirits which work for that, Renaco, Huayanche, Lamarosa, Sangapilla, perfumes and I call his spirit back to the family home. I blow smoke to reunite them.’Another (in a very enjoyable way) the qualities, consciousness or spirit of the plant is used to attract benign forces is “los baños florales” or flower baths. In this the individual is bathed in flowers which have been soaking in water for many hours. The maestro prepares the water by blowing mapacho (jungle tobacco) smoke and at the same time placing his intention into the flower soaked water. Again these flowers and plants have been gathered from sometimes deep and not easily accessible locations in the rainforest and have been selected for their specific qualities which the maestro feels are needed to help that person.A friend of mine Alonso del Rio, who has lived with the Shipibo people, and is uniquely well equipped to be a bridge between the indigenous wisdom and modern Westerners, tells the following; ‘The mind of the traditional maestro is very different from yours or mine. He has lived in the rainforest without contact with the Western world, so to have access to the same visions, the same codes is difficult. But what I have found is that the expansion of the consciousness and the power that the plant gives you to understand many things is perfectly valid. The magical space to which we are taken - call it the ‘unconscious’ or any term you want to use depending on your psychological model - is one where all the kingdoms of nature can communicate. That is people can talk to plants, and plants with minerals, minerals to animals and animals with humans… all in the same language. It is a very real communication and one of the greatest mysteries which exists. This is something which an English person or a Peruvian born in Lima can experience just as an Amazonian person. Because you can do it without speaking in a native dialect, it doesn’t go through the mind but between one spirit and another.”On the edge of the Amazonian town Iquitos is the market river port of Belen, which has the famous street ‘Pasaje Paquito’ where many of the rainforest, herbs, plants, mixtures, tinctures are sold. Chatting to Juanita the owner of the stall where I buy plants from, I remember her describing some of the potions, lotions, plants, tonics, barks, perfumes, roots, oils, aphrodisiacs and leaves, and remarking “when you talk to the plants you will get to know them like friends, they have their own spirits, their own personalities”.A look at a few of the ‘planta maestras’The shamans say that plants connect us with nature because they take their nourishment directly from the earth, as well as the sun’s rays, the air, and water. They allow us to know and recognize ourselves. A shaman must know this and must love his people to heal them.Chiric Sanango Brumfelsia grandiflora; this plant is good for colds and arthritis and has the effect of heating up the body, so much so that the maestros advise a cold shower after each dose! This plant can be used in baths for good luck, and bring success to fishing, hunting etc. This planta maestra also makes possible for people to open up their heart to feel love for people and animals (warms up a cold heart) and bestows the ability to identify with other people as though they were your brothers and sisters. The plant grows mainly in the Upper Amazon and only a few ‘restingas’ (high ground which never floods) in the Lower Amazon. The gift of Chiric Sanango is self esteem, and develops a deep connection with your inner self. On a personal note, I have dieted this plant, and although I thought the terminology of "warming one's heart" to be a bit "cheesy", this plant really did have an extraordinary effect on me, I really did feel this inner glow of warmth, and friendship, and to my surprise it is still there! I feel that I returned from my exploration with this plant a changed person.Guayusa (Piper callosum); is good for excessive acidity and other digestive problems in the stomach and bile. Also it is both energizing and relaxing at the same time and develops mental strength. Guayusa also has the most interesting effect of giving lucid dreams i.e. when you are dreaming you are aware that you are dreaming. The plant is also known as the "night watchman's plant", as even when sleeping you seem to have an awareness the outer physical surroundings. On another personal note, I found the experience with this plant also to be quite incredible. I found that the usual boundary between sleeping and being awake to be more fluid than I had anticipated. Even now, sometime after taking the plant my dreams are more colourful, richer, and lucid than before. When taking this plant, I sometimes wake up not knowing if I have actually ‘woken up’ or I am dreaming that I’ve woken up. For those interested in 'dreaming' this is certainly the plant to explore. Ajo Sacha (Pseudocalymma); A very important planta maestra in the initiation of Amazonian shamans. On a physical level it purifies the blood, and is used for people suffering from arthritis and rheumatism. The other benefits are that it brings mental strength, acuity of mind, and it can take you out of saladera (regarded as a run of bad luck, inertia, or a sense of not living to the full). It is also used for ridding spells. The plant is used to enhance hunting skills by covering up human smell with the garlic-like smell of Ajo Sacha. The Shipibo maestro Guillermo Arevalo also added that this plant opens the shamanic path – if we are prepared to live under the obligations of shamanism, to do this we need the qualities of courage, and no fear of extremes or ‘ugly’ things. We need to understand what role we will play in our community, and have the heart of a warrior. As a personal observation, Guillermo is one of the most highly respected maestros in the Amazonian region and is regarded as the authority on dieting this planta maestra. On another personal note, I found my senses being altered and enhanced with this plant. I could zoom in and focus on sounds emanating from the rainforest, my sense of smell became sharper, and in some ineffable way I could tune into the breathing or rhythm of the rainforest. The sound of insects and birds was no longer a random phenomenon, these sounds became a rhythmic breath, rising and falling. No wonder that it is used for hunting as one's sense are heightened in an incredible way. Reflections On reflection dieting plant medicine is totally different than pharmaceutical medication which only affects one whilst it is being taken; these kinds of plant medicines seem to have a permanent effect in some way metaphorical or otherwise altering one's consciousness or "DNA". One of the great revelations that we can experience in working with the plant spirit or consciousness is that we are not separate from the natural world. In our culture we perceive ourselves to be separate beings with our minds firmly embedded within our physical being (typically our head). The plants can show you that this way of being is an illusion and that we are all connected, all of us and everything else is a discrete element in the great universal field of consciousness or spirit.