What is a red list plant?
Red List assessments highlight the extinction risk faced by plant species in the wild, raise awareness for the need to protect them and aid prioritisation for plant conservation efforts. Currently, plant species are under-represented on the IUCN Red List of Threatened species, limiting plant conservation action. It’s analogous to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species but for sites rather than plants and animals. Unlike the Red List, which measures extinction risk, the GL measures improvements and good performance in protected area management.The IUCN Green List is a new global standard for protected areas. The list recognises success in achieving conservation outcomes and measures progress in effective management of protected areas. Explore Green List and candidate sites.
Why are plants green?
The process of photosynthesis produces oxygen, which is released by the plant into the air. Chlorophyll gives plants their green color because it does not absorb the green wavelengths of white light. That particular light wavelength is reflected from the plant, so it appears green. During photosynthesis in green plants, light energy is captured and used to convert water, carbon dioxide, and minerals into oxygen and energy-rich organic compounds.Plants can do an amazing thing: They make their own food using just water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide. This process is called photosynthesis. They capture the energy from the sun and use it to convert water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates (sugars). Plants then use the carbohydrates to grow.During photosynthesis, plants trap light energy with their leaves. Plants use the energy of the sun to change water and carbon dioxide into a sugar called glucose. Glucose is used by plants for energy and to make other substances like cellulose and starch. Cellulose is used in building cell walls.Plants don’t sleep. Photosynthesis has has some aspects that require light and some that don’t. Outside of photosynthesis, there’s respiration. At nights, plants can use oxygen and the glucose they’ve created during photosynthesis to supply the energy they need for growth.