The world consists of plant life, animal life and humans. The existence of all the three is needed for the ecological balance. Without proper ecological balance then survival in this planet earth would be very difficult. Basically, whatever we consume comes either directly or indirectly from plants.
It had been confirmed that, throughout human history, 7000 varieties of plant species were consumed as food by the human population. Plants are useful to humans in number of aspects like food, shelter, medicines, transpiration etc. Recent studies have shown that, the continuous destruction of plant life would finally lead to humans being extinct.
Some researchers belonging to University of Georgia stated that, unless the human beings slow down earth’s reducing supply of plant life, human life would become completely unsustainable in the future. According to Professor John Schramski, the energy from the sun is stored in plants and fossil fuels, but human communities are draining the energies at faster rate than it can be restored.
As per the estimation of the scientists, 2000 years ago, earth had 1000 billion tonnes of carbon in living biomass. Since then the human population had reduced it by almost half the amount. In the last century itself, nearly 10 % of biomass was destroyed. If this current trend is not reversed, then we would end up in a situation where biomass battery discharges to a extent at which planet earth would become incapable of sustaining humans.
Large scale deforestation that was increased by the development in mechanised farming techniques and need to provide food for fast growing human population were the reasons cited for decreasing plant life existence.
Professor Schramski also insisted over the fact that, if more biomass gets destroyed then, earth would have less stored energy that is needed to maintain complex food webs. Earth would then become less hospitable to live on and more people would depend on fewer energy options. Hence the standard of living of people would become more unsafe and powerless to epidemics, droughts etc .
If the human population does not become extinct and when biomass reduces below the level of sustaining the humans, the ultimate result would be the decline of human population and people would be force to live as hunter gatherers or as horticulturalists. Schramski and his team of scientists are hoping that the importance of biomass recognition, elimination of its destruction and humans reliance on renewable energy sources would slow down the firm procession towards uncertain future.
