NEETBotanyBiodiversity and its Conservation
How many medicinally useful plants are believed to be in tropical rainforests?
Options
- AMillions
- BThousands
- CNobody knows
- DHundreds
Correct answer
C. Nobody knows
Step-by-step solution
The narrowly utilitarian arguments for conserving biodiversity are obvious; humans derive countless direct economic benefits from naturefood (cereals, pulses, fruits), firewood, fibre, construction material, industrial products (tannins, lubricants, dyes, resins, perfumes ) and products of medicinal importance. More than 25 per cent of the drugs currently sold in the market worldwide are derived from plants and 25,000 species of plants contribute to the traditional medicines used by native peoples around the world.