Economic Importance of Gymnosperms

The economic importance of Gymnosperms extends to their role in soil stabilization, erosion prevention, carbon sequestration, and as a habitat for wildlife. Gymnosperms hold economic significance as they provide timber, paper, and medicinal extracts, sustaining various industries and providing valuable resources. In this article, we will discover gymnosperms’ different uses and economic importance.

What are Gymnosperms?

“Gymnosperm” means “naked seeds” as it is derived from the Greek words “gymno” (naked) and “sperma” (seed). The gymnosperms and angiosperms difference lies in the fact that gymnosperm plants do not produce fruits in addition to their seeds. These plants grow into a cone-shaped structure at the tips of stalks, on the surface of scales or leaves, or both.

The kingdom Plantae and subkingdom “Embryophyta” are home to gymnosperms. Based on fossil evidence, they originated 390 million years ago, during the Paleozoic era. Gymnosperms lack ovarian walls enclosing their ovules. It stays exposed both before and after fertilization, as well as before seed development. Both branched and unbranched gymnosperm stems are possible.

Economic Importance of Gymnosperms

Gymnosperms are important to the economy because of their uses in horticulture, paper, lumber, medicine, and the environment.

Food Value

• Gymnosperms are important to the economy because they are a great source of food and are frequently used to make staple foods that can be eaten.
• Ginkgo, pinus, and cycas are examples of this kind of plant.
• Additionally important providers of starch, gymnosperms are the raw material for sago.
• Some parts of America and the surrounding regions dip and eat the leaves of these species as green leafy vegetables.
• Many types of non-flowering plants are used to make wine and other food items.
• ‘Seed starch’ extracted from seeds like Cycas rumphii, Dioon edule, etc., is processed into flour and cooked before consumption.
• Cycas’ tender leaves are commonly prepared and consumed as a vegetable.

Medicinal value

• Gymnosperms are widely used in the pharmaceutical industry to make a wide range of drugs, including those that treat allergies and infectious diseases like colds, coughs, asthma, and respiratory congestion.
• Taxol is a medicine made from Taxus, a coniferous tree.
• Cycas plants come in a variety of varieties and are used to make shampoo, oil, lotion, and other hair care products as well as to treat a range of illnesses.
• Ephedrine, an alkaloid derived from Ephedra.
• The juice derived from the young leaves of Cycas revoluta is employed in the treatment of blood vomiting and flatulence.

Industrial Use

Gymnosperm plants are utilized in a variety of industrial applications, such as these:

• Cycas gum is applied topically, as a remedy for snake bite, and for treating dangerous lesions.
• Tannins from the bark of various trees, including Sequoia, Pinus, and Araucaria, are utilized in the leather industry.
• A balm used in organic preparations, turpentine is extracted from Abies balsamea.
• Resin from fossilized Pinus succinifera is found.
• Aside from flooring for wagons, pinus wood is used for doors, pillars, and beams.
• Podocarpus wood is used to make plywood.
• Pinus, Picea, Abies, Gnetum, and other species’ wood pulp is used to make publications like newsletters, stationery, and prints.
• Fibers extracted from the leaves of Cycas and Macrozamia are employed in stuffing pillows and crafting mattresses.

Source of oil and wood

• Gymnosperms like C. revoluta, Macrozamia riedlei, Pinus cembra, and Cephalotaxus drupaceous are among the plants whose seeds are used to make edible oils.
• Tiny objects and oil-sopped lenses are cleaned with red cedar oil, which is extracted from the heart skin of Juniperus virginiana.
• Oils extracted from Cedrus deodara, Cryptomeria japonica, and Cupressus sempervirens are employed in the preparation of perfumes.
• Red cedar wood oil, obtained from the heartwood of Juniperus virginiana, is employed for cleaning microscopic preparations and as a lubricant for oil immersion lenses.

Aesthetic value

In addition to their decorative value, gymnosperms are used in the following ways in business:

• Garden plants and ornamental plants are commonly grown from several species of Cycas.
• Chinese and Japanese temples revere the ginkgo, or “virgin,” tree, and grow it as a beautiful plant.
• Several gymnosperms, such as Araucaria, Thuja, and others, are cultivated for ornamental purposes.

Resins

The exudates from plants are produced by specific channels. These originate primarily from tapping conifers. They are widely used in paints, lacquers, varnishes, medicines, and paper manufacturing; they are soluble in organic solvents but insoluble in water.

Rosin

Rosin, or colophony, is the byproduct obtained from distilling turpentine or pine oleoresin. The primary sources of turpentine in India are Pinus roxburghii, P. wallichianus, P. insularis, and P. merkusii. Turpentine oil and rosin are distilled to make them. Parchment, enamel, plasters, ointments, and paper sizing are all made with rosin. Excellent rosin is needed for the production of grease and oil, sealing wax, oilcloth, plastics, adhesives, insulators, disinfectants, insecticides, furniture, and a host of other industrial stuff.

Features of Gymnosperms

Gymnosperms are distinguished by the following key traits:

1. They do not make flowers.
2. No seeds develop inside of a fruit. They have no clothes on.
3. They can be found in colder climates with snowfall.
4. They grow leaves that resemble needles.
5. They grow into bushes or trees and are woody or perennial.
6. They are not classified according to stigma, style, or ovary.
7. They are directly pollinated by the wind because they lack stigma.
8. Only one of the two gametes that the male gametophytes produce is viable.
9. They develop reproductive organs into cones.
10. The endosperm found in seeds stores nutrients necessary for the plant’s continued growth and development.
11. Due to the vascular tissues in these plants, water and nutrients are more easily transported.
12. The phloem lacks sieve tubes, companion cells, and vessels, while the xylem lacks all three.

Importance of Gymnosperms

• Gymnosperms are plants that produce food. These non-flowering plants are used extensively for their edible seeds, which are used to make a variety of food products. Ginkgo, pinus, cycas, and other plant species are among them
• In addition to being used to make sago, a few gymnosperm species are useful sources of starch. Lowland or indigenous peoples rely heavily on it as a staple food.
• The leaves of these plant species are soaked and consumed as green leafy vegetables in some lowland areas of America and other countries.
• A wide variety of non-flowering plant species are employed in the manufacturing of wine and other food products.
• Cycas plant species are utilized in the pharmacological and cosmetic industries to make a variety of hair care products, such as shampoo, lotion, and oil.
• A few species of non-flowering plants are frequently used as decorations for aesthetic reasons. Take that fern as an example.
• Some of these non-flowering plants are commonly grown in gardens, parks, and other locations in addition to being used for food and medicinal purposes because of their lovely ornamental leaves.

Conclusion – Economic Importance of Gymnosperms

Gymnosperms are important to the economy because of their uses in horticulture, paper, lumber, medicine, and the environment. They are also beneficial for recreation and the environment. They supply wood, paper, resins, and board, edible seeds—some of which can even be used to make medications. Globally, the Coniferales represent a significant timber resource, producing wood that is employed globally in a multitude of ways. The most common commercial use of Pirius brxburghii (Chir) is in India. Making sound boards for musical instruments is one use for spruce (Picea).

FAQs on Economic Importance of Gymnosperms

Give a Few Examples of Gymnosperms.

Cycas, Pinus, Thuja, Cedrus, Abies, and Larix showcase gymnosperm diversity crucial for Earth’s ecosystems.

What is the Most Important Gymnosperm?

Conifers, the most species-rich gymnosperms, also exhibit remarkable ecological diversity. They play a crucial role in temperate and boreal forest ecosystems.

What is the Economic Importance of Algae and Gymnosperm?

Algae contribute to oxygen production, food chains, and biofuels, while gymnosperms offer timber, paper, and pharmaceutical resources, both playing vital economic roles.

What is the Most Economically Important Group of Gymnosperms?

Gymnosperms, such as pine, fir, spruce, and cedar, are economically vital for lumber, paper, and resin industries. They also have diverse applications in soap-making, varnish, nail polish, food etc.

Why were Gymnosperms Important?

Gymnosperms serve as a valuable food source, with edible seeds utilized in various food products. Additionally, certain gymnosperm species are rich in starch, making them suitable for sago production.

What are the Ecological and Economic Importance of Gymnosperms?

Gymnosperms contribute to biodiversity, soil stabilization, and carbon sequestration in ecosystems worldwide. They provide valuable resources such as timber, medicine, and ornamental plants, supporting industries and livelihoods.