UrEducator www.ureducator.com www.ureducator.com www.ureducator.com www.ureducator.com Diversity in the Living World Grade 6 Science – Chapter 2 – Notes By UrEducator – Subhash Kumar Wise Saying Trees stand in the sun and give shade to others. Their fruits are also for others. Likewise, good people bear hardships and bring welfare to others. What is Diversity? ● Our world has an enormous variety of plants and animals. ● This variety is called biodiversity (See Keyword 1). ● Every species has different shapes, sizes, colours, and features. Diversity in Plants and Animals During nature walks or while observing our surroundings, we notice: ● Different types of plants like grass, bushes, trees, flowers, and leaves. (See Keyword 2) ● Various animals like birds, butterflies, monkeys, insects, etc. (See Keyword 3) ● Birds have different sounds or chirps, which is a sign of diversity in nature. Diversity in Plants Features of Plants Plants differ in: ● Stems: hard/soft, thick/thin, tall/short (See Keyword 4) ● Leaves: shapes, colours, sizes, arrangement (See Keyword 5) ● Flowers: colour, size, shape, fragrance (See Keyword 6) ● Roots: types and structure (See Keyword 7) Types of Plants Plants are grouped based on their size, stem type, and branching pattern (See Keyword 8: Grouping): Type of Plant Features Example Herbs (See Keyword 9) Small, soft, green stems Tomato www.ureducator.com www.ureducator.com www.ureducator.com www.ureducator.com UrEducator www.ureducator.com www.ureducator.com www.ureducator.com www.ureducator.com Shrubs (See Keyword 10) Medium height, woody stems, branches close to the ground Rose Trees (See Keyword 11) Tall, thick woody stems, branches high up Mango Leaf Venation Venation means the pattern of veins on a leaf (See Keyword 5). ● Reticulate Venation (See Keyword 12): ○ Veins form a net-like pattern. ○ Example: Hibiscus ● Parallel Venation (See Keyword 13): ○ Veins run parallel to each other. ○ Example: Banana, grass Types of Roots ● Taproot System (See Keyword 14): ○ One thick main root with smaller side roots. ○ Found in plants with reticulate venation (Keyword 12). ○ Examples: Hibiscus, Chickpea. ● Fibrous Root System (See Keyword 15): ○ Many thin roots growing from the stem base. ○ Found in plants with parallel venation (Keyword 13). ○ Examples: Grass, Wheat Seeds – Monocots and Dicots Plants are also grouped based on seeds: ● Monocotyledons (Monocots) (See Keyword 16): ○ Seeds have one cotyledon (seed leaf). ○ Leaves have parallel venation (Keyword 13). ○ Roots are fibrous (Keyword 15). ○ Example: Maize, grass. ● Dicotyledons (Dicots) (See Keyword 17): ○ Seeds have two cotyledons. ○ Leaves have reticulate venation (Keyword 12). ○ Roots are taproot type (Keyword 14). www.ureducator.com www.ureducator.com www.ureducator.com www.ureducator.com UrEducator www.ureducator.com www.ureducator.com www.ureducator.com www.ureducator.com ○ Example: Chickpea, hibiscus Diversity in Animals Animals differ in: ● Places they live (See Keyword 18: Habitat). ● Types of food they eat. ● Ways of moving around Movement in Animals Animals use different body parts to move: Animal Movement Type Body Parts Used Ant Walks Legs Goat Walks, jumps Legs Pigeon Walks, flies Legs, wings Fish Swims Fins Animals can walk, hop, fly, crawl, swim, etc. (See Keyword 3). Habitats and Adaptations ● A habitat is the place where a plant or animal lives. It provides food, water, shelter, and air (See Keyword 18). ● Plants and animals have special features that help them survive in their habitat. These features are called adaptations (See Keyword 19 Examples of Adaptations ● Cactus plants in deserts store water in thick stems. ● Deodar trees on mountains have sloping branches so snow slides off. ● Camels in deserts: ○ Hot desert camels have long legs and one hump. ○ Cold desert camels have shorter legs, two humps, and long hair to stay warm. (See Keywords 11, 18, and 19.) Grouping of Plants and Animals ● Grouping means arranging things based on similar features (See Keyword 8). ● Helps in easy study and understanding of biodiversity (Keyword 1). www.ureducator.com www.ureducator.com www.ureducator.com www.ureducator.com UrEducator www.ureducator.com www.ureducator.com www.ureducator.com www.ureducator.com ● Grouping can be done based on: ○ Features like stems, leaves, roots, flowers (plants). ○ Movement, body parts, food, colour, habitat (animals Terrestrial and Aquatic Habitats ● Terrestrial habitat means living on land (See Keyword 20). ○ Examples: Forests, deserts, mountains. ● Aquatic habitat means living in water (See Keyword 21). ○ Examples: Ponds, rivers, oceans. ● Animals like frogs can live on land and in water. They are called amphibians (See Keyword 22 Loss of Biodiversity ● Human activities damage habitats, leading to loss of biodiversity (Keyword 1). ● This affects survival of many plants and animals. ● Conservation projects help protect biodiversity, like: ○ Project Tiger ○ Cheetah Reintroduction Project ○ Protection of Great Indian Bustard habitats Sacred Groves ● Sacred groves are protected forest patches, conserved by local communities (See Keyword 23). ● Rich in biodiversity and medicinal plants. ● Cutting trees or harming animals is strictly prohibited there Keywords 1. Biodiversity – Variety of plants and animals in an area. 2. Plants – Living things that make their own food and stay fixed in one place. 3. Animals – Living things that move, eat other things, and show many varieties. 4. Stem – Part of the plant that supports leaves, flowers, and fruits. 5. Leaves / Venation – Thin, flat parts of a plant; venation is the pattern of veins. 6. Flowers – Reproductive part of plants. 7. Root – Underground parts that anchor plants and absorb water. 8. Grouping – Putting similar things together for easy study. 9. Herbs – Small plants with soft stems. 10. Shrubs – Medium plants with woody stems branching near the ground. 11. Trees – Tall plants with hard, thick stems. 12. Reticulate Venation – Net-like pattern of veins in leaves. www.ureducator.com www.ureducator.com www.ureducator.com www.ureducator.com UrEducator www.ureducator.com www.ureducator.com www.ureducator.com www.ureducator.com 13. Parallel Venation – Veins running side by side in leaves. 14. Taproot – Single main root with smaller branches. 15. Fibrous root – Many thin roots growing in bunches. 16. Monocotyledons (Monocots) – Plants with one seed leaf. 17. Dicotyledons (Dicots) – Plants with two seed leaves. 18. Habitat – Natural place where a living thing lives. 19. Adaptation – Special features helping living things survive. 20. Terrestrial habitat – Land-based living place. 21. Aquatic habitat – Water-based living place. 22. Amphibians – Animals living on land and in water. 23. Sacred groves – Forest patches protected by communities Summary ● We see a huge biodiversity (Keyword 1) in plants and animals. ● Plants and animals are grouped based on their features (Keyword 8). ● Grouping makes it easier to study living things. ● Adaptations (Keyword 19) help plants and animals survive in their habitats (Keyword 18). ● Damage to habitats leads to loss of biodiversity. ● Conservation efforts are important to save biodiversity for the future. More to Know ● Salim Ali (Birdman of India) studied bird diversity in India. ● Janaki Ammal worked to save plant biodiversity. ● Sacred groves are natural treasures of biodiversity (Keyword 23). Do You Know? ● Monocot plants generally have parallel venation (Keyword 13) and fibrous roots (Keyword 15). ● Dicot plants generally have reticulate venation (Keyword 12) and taproots (Keyword 14). 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