Diversity in the Living World

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biodiversity

stem

venation

dicotyledons (dicots)

monocotyledons (monocots)

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fibrous

adaptations

habitat

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aquatic

amphibians

deodar

Project Tiger

sacred groves

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A→2, B→5, C→1, D→3, E→4

A→2, B→5, C→1, D→4, E→3

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Biodiversity is the variety of plants and animals found in a particular region. For example, the variety of plants (grasses, bushes, large trees) and animals (birds, butterflies, monkeys) observed during the nature walk contributes to the biodiversity of that area.

Dr Raghu is a scientist at a nearby Research Laboratory who facilitates the nature walk. Maniram chacha is an elderly person from a nearby community who is an expert in mimicking bird calls and identifying a variety of plants and animals.

Grouping is the method of arranging things into groups based on their common features. It makes it easier to understand and study plants and animals on the basis of their similarities and differences.

Herbs are small plants with soft, green stems (e.g., tulsi). Shrubs are not as tall as trees and have many brown woody stems that branch very close to the ground; the stems are hard but not as thick as the stem of a tree (e.g., hibiscus).

Climbers are plants with weak stems that need support to climb and grow. Creepers are plants that creep along the ground.

The pattern of veins on a leaf is called venation. The two types are reticulate venation (veins form a network) and parallel venation (veins run parallel to each other).

A taproot has a main root with side roots arising from it (e.g., hibiscus, chickpea). Fibrous roots are a bunch of similar-sized thin roots arising from the base of the stem (e.g., common grass, wheat).

Generally, plants with reticulate venation have taproots, while plants with parallel venation have fibrous roots. For example, chickpea has reticulate venation and taproots, while wheat has parallel venation and fibrous roots.

Cotyledons are the parts of a seed. Plants with seeds having two cotyledons are called dicots (e.g., chickpea), and plants with a single cotyledon are called monocots (e.g., maize). This helps group plants into dicotyledons and monocotyledons.

Dicot plants have seeds with two cotyledons, reticulate venation, and taproots (e.g., chickpea). Monocot plants have a single cotyledon, parallel venation, and fibrous roots (e.g., maize, wheat).

Fish have streamlined bodies and fins for movement in water. The streamlined body shape reduces water resistance and fins help them swim.

The place where plants and animals live is called their habitat. For example, the habitat of sea turtles is the sea or ocean, and the habitat of a camel is the hot or cold desert.

Terrestrial habitats are those where plants and animals live on land (e.g., forests, deserts, grasslands, mountains). Aquatic habitats are those where plants and animals live in water (e.g., ponds, lakes, rivers, oceans).

Animals that can live in water as well as on land are called amphibians. Frogs are an example of amphibians.

The special features that enable plants and animals to survive in a particular region are called adaptations. For example, the conical shape and sloping branches of deodar trees enable snow to slide off easily in cold mountainous regions.

The fleshy stems of plants found in the desert can store water and help them tolerate the hot conditions. These plants and animals can survive both the hot conditions during the day and cold conditions at night.

Camels found in the hot desert have one hump that helps them survive during the scarcity of food. Camels found in the cold desert have two humps, which shrink in late winters because they use stored food during that time.

Camels excrete small amounts of urine, their dung is dry, and they do not sweat. Since they do not lose much water from their bodies, they can survive for many days without drinking water.

Rhododendrons in the Shola forests of Nilgiris are of shorter height and have smaller leaves to survive through the heavy winds on mountain tops. In Sikkim, rhododendrons are taller because the conditions are different.

Janaki Ammal (1897-1984) was an Indian botanist dedicated to environmental work. She played a key role in the 'Save Silent Valley' movement and, as head of the Botanical Survey of India, initiated programmes to document the plant diversity of India.

Introduction: Plants are grouped into herbs, shrubs and trees based on their height and the type of stem.
Key Points:
1. Trees — Trees are tall with hard, thick, brown woody stems; branches arise higher up, e.g., mango.
2. Shrubs — Shrubs are medium-sized with many hard, thin woody stems branching close to the ground, e.g., rose.
3. Herbs — Herbs are small, short plants with soft, green, tender stems, e.g., tomato.
Conclusion: Height, stem nature and branching pattern together decide whether a plant is a herb, shrub or tree.

Introduction: The chapter shows a clear relationship among leaf venation, root types and cotyledons in seeds.
Key Points:
1. Dicot relationship — Dicot plants have two cotyledons, reticulate venation in leaves and a taproot system.
2. Monocot relationship — Monocot plants have a single cotyledon, parallel venation and fibrous roots.
3. Examples — Chickpea is a dicot with taproots; wheat and maize are monocots with fibrous roots.
Conclusion: By observing one feature, like venation, we can predict the root type and seed structure.

Introduction: Animals show different types of movement and use different body parts to move from place to place.
Key Points:
1. Flying animals — Pigeons and houseflies walk and fly using their legs and wings.
2. Walking animals — Goats walk and jump using legs, while ants crawl using their legs.
3. Swimming animals — Fish swim in water using fins, helped by their streamlined bodies.
Conclusion: The type of movement and the body parts used help us group diverse animals conveniently.

Introduction: Plants develop special features, called adaptations, to survive the conditions of their regions.
Key Points:
1. Deodar shape — Deodar trees are conical with flexible, sloping branches that let snow slide off easily.
2. Snow survival — This shape helps them survive frequent snowfall in extremely cold mountain regions.
3. Desert stems — Cactus plants have thick, fleshy stems that store water and tolerate desert heat.
Conclusion: Adaptations like conical shapes and fleshy stems enable survival in mountains and deserts respectively.

Introduction: Camels of the hot and cold deserts show different features suited to their own environments.
Key Points:
1. Legs and hooves — Hot desert camels have long legs with wide hooves; cold desert camels are comparatively shorter.
2. Humps — Hot desert camels have one hump; cold desert camels have two humps that shrink in late winter.
3. Protection from cold — Cold desert camels grow long hair from head to neck to survive Ladakh's winters.
Conclusion: Each camel type is adapted differently to survive the conditions of its own desert habitat.

Introduction: Damage to habitats harms the plants and animals that depend on them for survival.
Key Points:
1. Loss of resources — Habitat damage causes loss of homes, food and other resources for plants and animals.
2. Loss of biodiversity — Without resources, species decline, leading to the loss of a region's biodiversity.
3. Indian examples — Bengal Tiger, Cheetah and Great Indian Bustard populations declined from habitat loss.
Conclusion: Protecting habitats is essential to prevent the loss of India's rich biodiversity.

Introduction: The Save Silent Valley movement is a real success story of common people saving a Kerala forest.
Key Points:
1. The threat — A hydroelectric dam was proposed across the Kunthipuzha river in Palakkad district, Kerala.
2. The people's battle — Common people, not even living near the forest, fought the proposal for ten years.
3. Methods used — They used awareness programmes, letters to editors, articles, seminars and court petitions.
Conclusion: Their persistent movement successfully saved the Silent Valley's moist evergreen forest and rich biodiversity.

Introduction: Salim Ali (1896–1987) was a famous Indian scientist known as the 'Birdman of India'.
Key Points:
1. Bird studies — He travelled across India, listing birds and documenting their travel routes and habitats.
2. Conservation — He preserved high bird-diversity regions like Keoladeo National Park and Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary.
3. Books and honours — He wrote a landmark series of ten books on Indian birds and received the Padma Vibhushan in 1976.
Conclusion: Salim Ali's observations and conservation work greatly protected India's bird diversity.

Introduction: Sacred groves are traditionally protected forest patches found all over India.
Key Points:
1. Undisturbed forests — Sacred groves are undisturbed patches of forest, varying from small to very large sizes.
2. Rich life — They are home to many plants and animals, including numerous medicinal plants.
3. Community protection — Local communities protect them; nobody may harm animals or cut trees there.
Conclusion: Sacred groves act as community-protected treasures that conserve India's rich biodiversity.

Introduction: Plants and animals share habitats and depend on each other for their survival.
Key Points:
1. Food and shelter — Trees provide food and shelter to some birds and other animals.
2. Seed dispersal — Animals help in spreading seeds after eating fruits, helping plants grow elsewhere.
3. Different roles — Each member of a region's biodiversity plays a different, important role.
Conclusion: This mutual dependence shows that plants and animals are closely connected in nature.

Introduction: Habitats, the places where plants and animals live, are grouped into two main types.
Key Points:
1. Terrestrial habitats — Habitats on land include forests, deserts, grasslands and mountains, e.g., goats.
2. Aquatic habitats — Habitats in water include ponds, lakes, rivers and oceans, e.g., fish.
3. Amphibians — Some animals like frogs live both on land and in water, and are called amphibians.
Conclusion: Grouping by habitat helps us understand where different plants and animals live.

Introduction: Rhododendrons show different features in different regions to survive local conditions.
Key Points:
1. In the Nilgiris — In the Shola forests of Nilgiris, rhododendrons are of shorter height with smaller leaves.
2. In Sikkim — The rhododendrons observed in the nearby mountains of Sikkim are comparatively taller.
3. The reason — Shorter height and smaller leaves help them survive the heavy winds on mountain tops.
Conclusion: The same plant develops different adaptations to suit the conditions of each region.

Introduction: The Government of India has initiated several projects to conserve the country's biodiversity.
Key Points:
1. Project Tiger — Initiated in 1973 to protect the declining population of the Bengal Tiger.
2. Cheetah Reintroduction Project — Initiated in 2022 to restore the population of the Cheetah.
3. Protected areas — Great Indian Bustard habitats in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra were declared protected.
Conclusion: These initiatives show the government's commitment to protecting India's threatened wildlife.

Introduction: Biodiversity varies from region to region because environmental conditions differ across regions.
Key Points:
1. Desert conditions — Deserts have little water with hot days and cold nights, so fleshy-stemmed cacti survive.
2. Mountain conditions — Cold mountains face frequent snowfall, so deodar trees are conical with sloping branches.
3. Ocean conditions — In oceans, fish have streamlined bodies that help them swim easily in water.
Conclusion: Distinct environmental conditions give each region its own special plants and animals.

Introduction: A habitat is the place where plants and animals live and fulfil all their needs.
Key Points:
1. Basic needs — A habitat provides food, water, air, shelter and other needs for survival.
2. Shared living — Many types of plants and animals may share the same habitat.
3. Shapes biodiversity — Habitat plays an important role in shaping the biodiversity of a region.
Conclusion: A healthy habitat is essential for the survival and thriving of all living beings.

(a) Deserts receive very little rainfall. A hot desert is very hot during the day and very cold at night. (b) Desert plants have fleshy stems that can store water and help them tolerate hot conditions. (c) Camels store food in their humps (one hump in hot desert, two in cold desert). They also conserve water by excreting small amounts of urine, having dry dung, and not sweating.

(a) Long legs with wide hooves help the hot desert camel walk on sand without sinking. (b) Cold desert camels have shorter legs to walk easily in mountainous regions. (c) Hot desert camels have one hump; cold desert camels have two humps that shrink in late winter when food is scarce. Cold desert camels grow long hair from head to neck to survive cold winters, while hot desert camels do not.

(a) Deodar trees grow in mountains in extremely cold regions that experience frequent snowfall. (b) The adaptation is their conical shape and sloping branches. (c) These features enable snow to slide off easily, preventing damage from snow accumulation. Rhododendrons also show different features — shorter with smaller leaves in Nilgiris (heavy winds) and taller in Sikkim.

(a) Adaptations are the special features that enable plants and animals to survive in a particular region. (b) Habitat is the place where plants and animals live. Example: the habitat of sea turtles is the sea or ocean. (c) The habitat provides food, water, air, shelter and other needs for survival. Habitat plays an important role in shaping the biodiversity of a region because many types of plants and animals share the same habitat and are interdependent.

(a) Radish is a taproot. (b) Reticulate venation would be observed in the leaves of the radish plant. (c) Radish is a dicot plant. Generally, dicot plants have reticulate venation and taproot systems, while monocots have parallel venation and fibrous roots. Since radish has a taproot and reticulate venation, it is a dicot.

(a) Dr Raghu informs that each bird has a unique chirp, which is an example of diversity in nature. (b) Biodiversity is the variety of plants and animals found in a particular region. (c) Trees provide food and shelter to birds and other animals, and animals help in spreading seeds after eating fruits. This interdependence is important because each member in the biodiversity of a region has a different role to play, and they support each other's survival.

(a) Sacred groves are undisturbed patches of forests found all over India, varying in size from small to very large. (b) They contain different kinds of plants and animals, including numerous medicinal plants. (c) They are protected by the local community — no one is allowed to harm animals, cut trees, or disturb the area. They are a community-protected treasure of biodiversity, preserving plants and animals that might otherwise be lost.

(a) Salim Ali was an Indian ornithologist who travelled across India observing bird diversity, documenting their travel routes, habitats and conserving regions with high bird diversity. (b) Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur, Rajasthan and Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary in Mandya, Karnataka. (c) He is called the 'Birdman of India' and was awarded Padma Vibhushan in 1976. His work is important because it documented and conserved India's bird biodiversity.

(a) Bengal Tiger, Cheetah, and Great Indian Bustard. (b) Project Tiger was initiated in 1973 to protect the declining population of the Bengal Tiger. (c) The Cheetah Reintroduction Project was initiated in 2022 to restore the population of the Cheetah. For the Great Indian Bustard, its habitats have been declared as Protected areas in the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

(a) Fish have streamlined bodies (to reduce water resistance) and fins (to help them swim) for movement in water. (b) Goats live in grassy areas and move with the help of legs. (c) The passage shows that animals have features suited to their surroundings. Another example: camels in hot deserts have long legs and wide hooves to walk on sand, while camels in cold deserts have shorter legs for mountainous regions, showing that surroundings shape animal features.

Introduction: Plants are grouped as herbs, shrubs and trees based on height, stem type and branching pattern.
Key Points:
1. Tree features — Trees grow tall with hard, thick, brown woody stems; branches start higher up, e.g., mango.
2. Shrub features — Shrubs are medium-height plants with many hard, thin woody stems branching near the ground, e.g., rose.
3. Herb features — Herbs are small, short plants with soft, green, tender stems, e.g., tomato plant.
4. Climbers — Plants with weak stems that need support to climb and grow are called climbers.
5. Creepers — Plants with weak stems that spread and creep along the ground are called creepers.
Conclusion: Height, stem nature and growth pattern help us group plants into these main categories.

Introduction: Leaf venation, root types and seed cotyledons are closely related features used to group plants.
Key Points:
1. Reticulate venation — A net-like vein pattern beside a thick middle vein, as in hibiscus, indicates dicots.
2. Parallel venation — Veins running parallel, as in banana and grass leaves, indicate monocots.
3. Taproot — One main root with small side roots, like in mustard and chickpea, belongs to dicots.
4. Fibrous roots — A bunch of similar-sized thin roots, as in grass and wheat, belongs to monocots.
5. Dicot vs monocot seeds — Dicots like chickpea have two cotyledons; monocots like maize have one.
Conclusion: Dicots show reticulate venation with taproots, while monocots show parallel venation with fibrous roots.

Introduction: Habitats are of two main types, and living beings develop adaptations to survive in them.
Key Points:
1. Terrestrial habitats — Forests, deserts, grasslands and mountains are land habitats, e.g., goats and lions.
2. Aquatic habitats — Ponds, lakes, rivers and oceans are water habitats, e.g., fish and sea turtles.
3. Desert adaptation — Camels store food in humps and lose little water, surviving days without drinking.
4. Mountain adaptation — Deodar trees are conical with sloping branches so that snow slides off easily.
5. Aquatic adaptation — Fish have streamlined bodies and fins that help them swim in water.
Conclusion: Adaptations make plants and animals fit to survive in their specific terrestrial or aquatic habitats.

Introduction: Camels of the hot deserts of Rajasthan and the cold deserts of Ladakh show different adaptations.
Key Points:
1. Long legs and wide hooves — Hot desert camels walk on sand without sinking, using long legs and wide hooves.
2. One hump — Hot desert camels have a single hump storing food to survive scarcity in the desert.
3. Short legs — Cold desert camels have shorter height and legs that help them walk in mountainous regions.
4. Two humps — Cold desert camels have two humps that shrink in late winter when food is scarce.
5. Long hair — Cold desert camels grow long hair from head to neck to survive the cold winters.
Conclusion: Each camel is specially adapted to survive its hot sandy desert or cold mountain desert home.

Introduction: Biodiversity is the variety of plants and animals found in a particular region.
Key Points:
1. Meaning — The variety of plants and animals found in a region contributes to that region's biodiversity.
2. Regional variation — Biodiversity varies from region to region because of diverse environmental conditions.
3. Desert adaptations — Cactus stems are thick and fleshy to store water; camels survive with little water.
4. Mountain adaptations — Deodar trees shed snow through conical shapes; rhododendrons stay short in strong winds.
5. Need for protection — Protecting biodiversity keeps our planet full of life, helping plants and animals thrive.
Conclusion: Every region's special conditions create unique biodiversity that we must protect carefully.

Introduction: The chapter begins with an exciting nature walk that introduces students to living diversity.
Key Points:
1. The guides — Dr Raghu, a laboratory scientist, and Maniram chacha, a bird-call expert, guided the walk.
2. The observations — Students saw grasses, bushes, large trees, birds, butterflies and jumping monkeys.
3. Listening and learning — Maniram chacha mimicked different bird calls, showing each bird has a unique chirp.
4. Careful recording — Students recorded plant and animal observations in notebooks, respecting all creatures.
5. Biodiversity learning — They learnt that the variety of plants and animals forms a region's biodiversity.
Conclusion: The nature walk taught students to observe, listen and appreciate nature's amazing diversity.

Introduction: Janaki Ammal and Salim Ali were two great Indian scientists who protected our biodiversity.
Key Points:
1. Janaki Ammal — botanist — She was an Indian botanist dedicated to environmental work and plant biodiversity.
2. Her roles — She led the Botanical Survey of India and played a key role in the Save Silent Valley movement.
3. Salim Ali — bird scientist — He travelled across India documenting birds, their travel routes and habitats.
4. His conservation — He preserved Keoladeo National Park and Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary for bird diversity.
5. His works — He wrote a landmark series of ten books on Indian birds, earning the title 'Birdman of India'.
Conclusion: Through documentation and conservation, both scientists greatly protected India's rich biodiversity.

Introduction: Habitat, adaptation and biodiversity are three connected concepts explaining life in different regions.
Key Points:
1. Habitat — The place where plants and animals live, providing food, water, air and shelter.
2. Adaptation — Special features that enable plants and animals to survive in a particular region.
3. Biodiversity — The variety of plants and animals found in a particular region.
4. Their relationship — Habitat conditions create adaptations, and these adaptations shape a region's biodiversity.
5. Habitat damage — Damage causes loss of homes, food and resources, resulting in the loss of biodiversity.
Conclusion: Healthy habitats support adaptations, and together they sustain the rich biodiversity of our planet.

Introduction: Grouping plants and animals by their similarities and differences makes studying them easier.
Key Points:
1. Importance of grouping — Grouping makes it easier to understand and study plants and animals systematically.
2. Height and stem — Plants are grouped as herbs, shrubs and trees based on height and stem type.
3. Leaf venation — Leaves showing reticulate or parallel venation form another grouping criterion.
4. Root type — Plants are grouped by whether they have taproot or fibrous root systems.
5. Seeds — Plants are grouped as dicots or monocots based on the number of cotyledons in seeds.
Conclusion: Multiple criteria — stems, leaves, roots and seeds — help us group and study plant diversity.

Introduction: The habitat of a region, with its special conditions, shapes the adaptations and biodiversity there.
Key Points:
1. Habitat's role — A habitat provides food, water, air and shelter, shaping the region's biodiversity.
2. Desert conditions — Little water, hot days and cold nights give camels humps and cacti fleshy stems.
3. Mountain conditions — Frequent snowfall gives deodar trees conical shapes and sloping branches.
4. Wind conditions — Heavy winds on Nilgiri mountain tops make rhododendrons short with smaller leaves.
5. Ocean conditions — Life in water gives fish streamlined bodies and fins for easy swimming.
Conclusion: Different habitats create different adaptations, giving every region its own special biodiversity.