Medicine
118 / 150 prescription drugs used in the United States are based on natural sources (9 / top ten)
- 74% plants, 18% fungi, 5% bacteria, 3% 1 snake
The commercial value of pharmaceuticals in the developed nations exceeds $40 billion per year
~ 85% of traditional medicine involves the use of plant extracts (affects 80% of humans)
From: Ecosystem Services: Benefits Supplied to Human Societies by Natural Ecosystems. G.C. Daily et al. Issues in Ecology Report 4, Ecological Society of America