Unbridled deforestation poses a major threat to medicinal plants

Tropical forests were deforested by roughly 53,000 square miles in the 1980s. [iStockphoto]

Traditional medicine dates back to the dawn of time, and it entails the use of medicinal herbs to treat diseases. There are about 250,000 species of higher plants on the planet.

Of these, 50,000 are known medicinal ones. Herbal medicine is estimated to be worth $250 billion, with a seven per cent annual growth rate.