Plants and animals help keep the soil fertile. Plant roots tunnel through the soil and break it up, and decaying plants form humus. Burrowing animals mix the soil; the excrete of animals contribute nutrients and improve soil structure.
Chinese medicine is a system of medicine partly based on the idea that an energy, called qi (say chee), flows along pathways in the body called meridians. In this belief, if the flow of qi along these meridians is blocked or unbalanced, illness can occur.
Chinese Herb Gallery. The Chinese Herb Gallery is a collection of photographs of herb plants used in Chinese medicine with their major medicinal actions and comments on cultivation and harvesting. Multiple photos of herbs reflect seasonal variations, specific plant parts for identification, and acceptable species variants for medicinal use.