Diversity in the Living World 🌳
“Trees stand in the sun and give shade to others. Their fruits are also for others. Likewise, good people bear all hardships and bring welfare to others.”
Welcome to the fascinating world of biodiversity! Let’s explore how plants and animals vary in shape, size, and the unique ways they survive in nature.
🌿 An Exciting Nature Walk
On a bright, fresh morning, Dr. Raghu and Maniram Chacha guided students through a nature walk, observing the wonders of plants and animals around them. Maniram Chacha even mimicked bird calls, making the experience fun and memorable.
[Add Photo of Nature Walk Here]
🔎 Observing Diversity
Students discovered:
- Different scents of plants
- Unique bird chirps
- Monkeys swinging from branches
- Butterflies visiting flowers
Activity 2.1: Let’s Explore!
- Plan your own nature walk.
- Observe plants, insects, birds, animals, and weather.
- Collect fallen leaves and flowers for a scrapbook.
- Record your observations below:
| Local Name | Stem | Leaves | Flowers | Other Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Grass | Soft and thin | Single leaf grows alternately | Green | - |
| Tulsi | Hard and thin | Pairs of leaves opposite | Pinkish purple | Aromatic |
| Hibiscus | Hard | Broad leaves | Large red flowers | Ornamental |
| Neem | Hard and thick | Smooth leaves | Small white flowers | Medicinal |
🐦 Unique Bird Calls
Every bird has its own chirp! Try listening to birds around you and identifying them by their sounds.
🌼 Grouping Living Things
Grouping helps us understand nature. We can group plants and animals by:
- Leaf shapes and arrangements
- Plant height and stems
- Presence of flowers
- Habitats and movements of animals
[Add Grouping Infographic Here]
Activity 2.3: Let’s Group!
- Collect pictures of plants and animals.
- Sort them into groups based on similarities.
- Discuss your groups with classmates!
🌳 Types of Plants
- Herbs: Small plants with soft stems (e.g. Tomato)
- Shrubs: Medium-sized with woody stems (e.g. Rose)
- Trees: Tall with thick woody stems (e.g. Mango)
[Add Images of Herbs, Shrubs, Trees]
Activity 2.5: Leaf Venation
- Reticulate Venation: Net-like veins (e.g. Hibiscus)
- Parallel Venation: Veins run parallel (e.g. Banana, Grass)
🌱 Roots & Seeds
- Taproot: Single thick root (e.g. Hibiscus)
- Fibrous Root: Many thin roots (e.g. Grass)
- Dicots: Two seed leaves, reticulate venation, taproot (e.g. Chickpea)
- Monocots: One seed leaf, parallel venation, fibrous roots (e.g. Maize)
[Add Images of Roots & Seeds]
🐾 Diversity in Animals
| Animal | Movement | Body Parts Used |
|---|---|---|
| Ant | Walks | Legs |
| Pigeon | Walks, flies | Legs, wings |
| Fish | Swims | Fins |
Activity 2.10: Compare Regions
| Desert | Mountains | Ocean | Forest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camel | Deodar tree | Fish | Lion |
🌏 Adaptations & Habitats
- Camels store fat in humps to survive deserts.
- Deodar trees have sloping branches for shedding snow.
- Fish have streamlined bodies for swimming.
Quiz Time!
Q: Which plants usually have parallel venation?
🌟 Know a Scientist: Salim Ali, known as the “Birdman of India,” documented birds across India and helped conserve sanctuaries like Bharatpur’s Keoladeo National Park.
🔑 Keywords and Definitions
- Biodiversity: Variety of living organisms in an area.
- Adaptation: Special traits for survival.
- Habitat: Natural home of an organism.
- Grouping: Sorting by similarities.
- Herbs: Small plants with soft stems.
- Shrubs: Medium, bushy plants.
- Trees: Tall plants with woody stems.
- Venation: Pattern of veins in leaves.
- Taproot: Single thick root.
- Fibrous root: Many thin roots.
- Monocot: Plants with one seed leaf.
- Dicot: Plants with two seed leaves.
- Terrestrial: Living on land.
- Aquatic: Living in water.
- Amphibians: Live both in water and on land.
✅ Summary
- Living things vary greatly, called biodiversity.
- Grouping helps study plants and animals.
- Adaptations help organisms survive.
- We must protect biodiversity for a healthy Earth.
📽️ Watch the Class Video!
Watch the explanation of this chapter here:
