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| < Return to Plants Home Transgenic Crops Over 100 million acres of farmland in the USA are now given over to genetically engineered crop, an area larger than the state of California. Genetically modified food can yield benefits, such as rice containing vitamin A, which is a common vitamin deficiency in the developing world. Unfortunately, little is known about the unintended consequences that may result from releasing genetically modified plants into the world's ecosystems, and use of genetically modified crops has been slowed until these questions can be answered. Endangered Plant Species Over 19,000 plant species worldwide are currently classified as endangered, due to habitat destruction, commercial exploitation, damage caused by intrusion of non-native plants, and pollution. Survival of ecosystems depends on the biodiversity, or variety of plants, animals and habitat. This means that the removal of one species through extinction can jeopardize the entire ecosystem. Habitat Loss Loss of Biodiversity Weedy Species The transportation revolution over the past few centuries has caused non-native species to be introduced everywhere. Weedy species are those non-native plant species that reproduce quickly, disperse widely, tolerate a broad range of habitats, and resist eradication. Where these species become established, they kill off native species. World Food Supply The good news is crop yields are increasing as the world's population grows. On the other hand, most of the world's arable land is already being used to grow the crops. Projections indicate the world's food supply should be sufficient to meet population increases for the next few decades. However, food supplies are not equally shared across the globe. In developing nations, people suffer from a lack of proteins, minerals, and vitamins as a result of inadequate supplies. |