Diversity In Plants And Animals Around Us

Observing Diversity

Our natural surroundings are filled with a fascinating variety of living things. By taking a nature walk and observing closely, we can experience the beauty and differences among plants and animals. Paying attention to various aspects like smells, sights, and sounds helps us appreciate this diversity. Experts can guide us in noticing details we might otherwise miss, such as the unique calls of different bird species. Respecting nature and observing without disturbance are important practices during such explorations.

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Variety In Plants

When observing plants, we notice many variations. These differences are evident in:

• Their heights (some are tall, some short).
• The nature of their stems (hard, soft, thick, thin).
• The leaves, which come in different shapes, sizes, colours, and arrangements on the stem or branches.
• The flowers, which vary in colour, shape, and smell.

Recording these observations, perhaps in a notebook or by collecting fallen leaves/flowers for a scrapbook, helps us document the variety we see.

Here is an example of how plant observations can be recorded, inspired by Activity 2.1:

Local name of plant	Stem (Nature & Thickness)	Leaves (Shape/Arrangement)	Flowers (Colour)	Other observations
Common grass	Soft and thin	Single, alternative arrangement	Green leaves (often inconspicuous flowers)	Grows close to ground
Tulsi (Holy Basil)	Hard and thin	Pairs, opposite arrangement	Pinkish purple	Used for medicinal purposes
Hibiscus (Gudhal)	Hard	Varied shapes	Large, bright colours (often red)	Many petals
Neem	Hard and thick	Smooth surfaces, compound leaves	White, fragrant	Large tree, bitter taste

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Variety In Animals

Animals also exhibit significant diversity. We can observe differences in:

• Where they live (on land, in water, on trees).
• What they eat (grass, insects, other animals).
• How they move (flying, walking, jumping, swimming).
• Their physical characteristics like size, shape, colour, and body parts.

Recording observations about different animals helps us understand the range of life forms present in a region.

An example of recording animal observations, inspired by Activity 2.2:

Name of the animal	Place they live	Food they eat	How they move	Other observations
Crow	Tree	Insects, grains, various food scraps	Fly, walk	Intelligent, often seen in groups
Ant	Nest in soil, burrow	Leaves, seeds, insects, various food particles	Walk	Small, six legs, work in colonies
Cow	Land (fields, farms)	Grasses, leaves, fodder	Walk	Four legs, produces milk

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What Is Biodiversity?

The presence of a great variety of different plants and animals in a specific region is known as the biodiversity of that region. A place with many different kinds of living things has high biodiversity.

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Interdependence In Nature

Within an ecosystem, plants and animals play different, crucial roles and are often dependent on each other for survival. For instance:

• Trees provide shelter and food for birds and other animals.
• Animals that eat fruits help disperse seeds, leading to new plant growth.
• Insects like bees help in pollination, which is necessary for many plants to reproduce.

This interconnectedness is a key aspect of the natural world.

How To Group Plants And Animals?

Importance Of Grouping

Imagine trying to find a specific book in a school bag where everything is mixed up. Arranging things into groups makes them easier to find and understand. Similarly, in science, grouping plants and animals based on their similarities and differences makes it much easier to study and learn about them. It helps in organizing the vast variety of living organisms. Different criteria can be used for grouping, and the chosen criteria can vary depending on the purpose of the grouping.

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Grouping Plants

Plants can be grouped based on various observable features. Some common features used are their height, the nature of their stems, the appearance and arrangement of their leaves, the presence or absence of flowers, and characteristics of their roots and seeds.

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Herbs, Shrubs, And Trees

One common way to group plants is based on their height and stem characteristics:

• Herbs: These plants are usually small in size. They have soft, green, and tender stems. Branches, if present, are usually very few. Examples include tomato and common grass.

• Shrubs: These are medium-sized plants. They have hard but not very thick, woody stems. The stems often branch out near the base, close to the ground. An example is a rose plant.

• Trees: These are typically tall plants. They possess hard, thick, brown, and woody stems (trunks). Branches usually arise higher up on the stem, away from the ground. Mango is a typical example of a tree.

Some plants with weak stems may either climb using support (climbers) or spread along the ground (creepers).

Grouping based on Height and Stem Nature (Inspired by Table 2.3):

Name of the plant	Height	Nature of stem (Green/Brown, Tender/Hard, Thick/Thin)	Appearance of branches (Close to ground/Higher up)	Plant group
Mango	Tall	Brown, Hard, Thick	Higher up on the stem	Tree
Rose	Medium	Brown, Hard, Thin	Close to the ground	Shrub
Tomato	Short	Green, Tender, Thin	Close to the ground (often spreading)	Herb

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Leaf Venation

The pattern formed by the veins on a leaf is called venation. These veins help transport water and nutrients throughout the leaf. There are two main types of venation:

• Reticulate Venation: The veins form a net-like pattern across the leaf, branching out from a central vein. This is seen in plants like hibiscus.

• Parallel Venation: The veins run parallel to each other, usually from the base to the tip of the leaf. This is typical in plants like grasses and bananas.

Leaf venation is another feature that can be used to group plants.

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Types Of Roots

Plants also have different types of roots, which typically grow underground and help anchor the plant and absorb water and nutrients. The two main types are:

• Taproot System: Consists of a single, prominent main root with smaller side roots branching off it. Examples include mustard and hibiscus plants.

• Fibrous Root System: Consists of a cluster or bunch of thin roots of similar size that arise from the base of the stem. Common grass exhibits fibrous roots.

Observing and comparing roots requires careful handling, especially when uprooting plants (which should ideally be replanted).

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Seed Types (Dicot And Monocot)

Another way to group plants is based on the structure of their seeds, specifically the number of cotyledons. Cotyledons are embryonic leaves within the seed that often store food or become the first leaves upon germination.

• Dicotyledonous (Dicot) Plants: Plants whose seeds can be split into two equal halves because they contain two cotyledons. Chickpea is an example of a dicot seed.

• Monocotyledonous (Monocot) Plants: Plants whose seeds have only one cotyledon and therefore cannot be easily split into two halves. Maize is an example of a monocot seed.

There is often a relationship between the type of seed (dicot/monocot), leaf venation, and root system:

• Dicot plants generally have reticulate leaf venation and a taproot system.
• Monocot plants generally have parallel leaf venation and a fibrous root system.

This relationship is demonstrated by observing plants like lemongrass (monocot: parallel venation, fibrous root) and sadabahar (dicot: reticulate venation, taproot).

Name of the plant	Seed Type (Dicot/Monocot)	Type of leaf venation (Reticulate/Parallel)	Type of root (Fibrous/Tap)
Lemongrass	Monocot	Parallel	Fibrous
Sadabahar (Periwinkle)	Dicot	Reticulate	Tap
Chickpea (Chana)	Dicot	Reticulate	Tap
Wheat	Monocot	Parallel	Fibrous

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Grouping Animals

Just like plants, the animal kingdom shows tremendous diversity. Animals can be grouped based on various features, such as:

• Where they live.
• What they eat.
• How they move.
• Their physical characteristics like shape, size, and colour.
• The presence or absence of certain body parts.

Grouping animals helps us organize and understand the vast variety of animal life.

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Movement In Animals

One significant way animals differ is in how they move from one place to another. Different animals employ different methods and use specific body parts for locomotion.

• Some animals fly using wings (e.g., birds, houseflies).
• Many animals walk, run, hop, or jump using legs (e.g., ants, goats).
• Aquatic animals like fish swim using fins.
• Other forms of movement include crawling or slithering (e.g., snakes, earthworms).

The way an animal moves and the body parts it uses for movement can be a basis for grouping them.

Examples of animal movements and body parts (Inspired by Table 2.5):

Name of the animal	Type of movement	Body parts used for movement
Ant	Walk	Legs
Goat	Walks and jumps	Legs
Pigeon	Flies	Wings
Housefly	Walks and flies	Legs and wings
Fish	Swims	Fins

Plants And Animals In Different Surroundings

Surroundings And Movement

The surroundings or environment in which an animal lives often influences how it moves and its physical characteristics. For example, a fish living in water has a streamlined body shape and fins that are efficient for swimming, while a goat living on land uses its legs for walking and jumping on solid ground. The size and shape of animals can also vary significantly depending on their surroundings.

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What Are Adaptations?

Plants and animals living in particular regions often possess special features that help them survive in the specific conditions of that environment. These features, which enable organisms to fit in and survive in their surroundings, are called adaptations. Adaptations can be related to body structure, behaviour, or physiological processes.

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Examples Of Adaptations

Different environments require different adaptations for survival.

• Desert Environment: Deserts are very hot during the day and cold at night, with very little water. Plants like cacti have thick, fleshy stems to store water and may have spines instead of leaves to reduce water loss. Animals like the camel have adaptations for surviving with limited water and navigating sandy terrain.

• Mountain Environment: Mountains, especially in cold regions, can experience heavy snowfall and strong winds. Trees like deodar often have a conical shape and sloping branches that allow snow to slide off easily, preventing damage. Plants like rhododendrons may vary in height and leaf size depending on the severity of winds and other conditions.

• Camels in different deserts: Camels in hot deserts have long legs and wide hooves to stay above the hot sand and walk without sinking. They also store fat in their humps as a food reserve and conserve water efficiently (producing little urine, dry dung, no sweating). Camels in cold deserts might have shorter legs for mountainous terrain and grow long hair for warmth, and can have two humps which shrink in winter when food is scarce.

• Aquatic Environments: Fish, for example, have a streamlined body and fins to move efficiently through water.

These examples show how adaptations are specific features that match an organism to its particular living conditions.

Examples of plants and animals in different surroundings (Inspired by Table 2.6):

In the desert	On mountains	In the ocean	In the forest	Any other
Camel	Deodar tree	Fish	Lion	Frog (Land & Water)
Cactus	Mountain goat	Whale	Tiger	Crow (Trees/Air)

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What Is Habitat?

The specific place where a plant or animal lives is called its habitat. A habitat provides everything an organism needs to survive, including food, water, air, shelter, and space. Many different types of plants and animals can share the same habitat. The characteristics of a habitat play a major role in determining the type of biodiversity found in that region.

Examples of habitats:

• Sea or ocean is the habitat for sea turtles and fish.
• Hot or cold deserts are habitats for different types of camels.
• Mountains are the habitat for deodar trees and mountain goats.

Based on whether they live on land or in water, habitats (and the organisms living there) can be broadly classified:

• Terrestrial Habitats: These are habitats on land. Examples include forests, deserts, grasslands, and mountains. Plants and animals living here are called terrestrial organisms.
• Aquatic Habitats: These are habitats in water. Examples include ponds, lakes, rivers, and oceans. Plants and animals living here are called aquatic organisms.

Some animals, like frogs, can live in both water and on land; these are called amphibians.

An example of grouping animals by habitat (Inspired by the exercise in the text):

A (Aquatic)	B (Terrestrial)	C (Both - Amphibians)
Dolphin	Horse	Frog
Whale	Sheep	Crocodile
Fish	Squirrel	Tortoise
	Earthworm
	Pigeon

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Impact Of Habitat Damage

When the habitat of plants and animals is damaged or destroyed, they lose their homes, sources of food, water, and other essential resources. This has severe consequences for their survival. A goat cannot survive long without grass, nor can a fish survive without water. Damage to habitats directly leads to a loss of biodiversity, meaning the variety of life in that region decreases. Observing which plants and animals are less common now compared to the past can indicate habitat damage.

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Conservation Of Biodiversity

Protecting and preserving biodiversity is crucial for maintaining a healthy planet and ensuring the survival of all living things, including humans. Loss of habitats, often due to human activities like deforestation, has led to a decline in populations of many species, such as the Bengal Tiger, Cheetah, and Great Indian Bustard in India.

Various efforts are made to conserve biodiversity, including:

• Initiating projects like 'Project Tiger' to protect endangered species.
• Establishing Protected Areas for crucial habitats.
• Reintroduction programs for species whose populations have declined.

Individuals like Salim Ali, known as the 'Birdman of India', made significant contributions by documenting bird diversity, identifying key bird regions, and working towards their conservation, leading to the preservation of areas like Keoladeo National Park and Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary.

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Sacred Groves

An example of traditional conservation efforts in India is the concept of Sacred Groves. These are patches of forest that are left undisturbed and protected by local communities based on religious or cultural beliefs. They serve as safe havens for a variety of plants and animals, including medicinal species, and are a testament to community-led biodiversity preservation. No one is allowed to harm the plants or animals within these areas. Finding out about sacred groves in one's own region can provide insight into local conservation practices.

Protecting habitats and the diversity of life within them is a shared responsibility to ensure that our planet remains rich in life and capable of supporting all its inhabitants.

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