2. Diversity in the Living World · Class 6 Science
Practise 100 short and long answer questions on Textbook-based subjective questions from 2. Diversity in the Living World. Try writing your own answer first, then tap the question to compare it with the model answer and read the explanation behind it.
( ) Trees stand in the Sun and give shade to others.
Likewise, good people bear all hardships and bring welfare to others.
It is a pleasant morning after yesterday’s refreshing rain.
Dr Raghu and Maniram chacha (uncle) have been invited to the school by the science teacher, Madam Sulekha, to
Maniram chacha is an expert in mimicking bird calls. He is also brilliant at identifying a variety of plants and animals.
To prepare them for the nature walk, Dr Raghu informs the students that the objective of this walk is to experience the beauty and variety of plants and animals in the nature.
The students are excited to join them. They are curious to interact and learn from them.
The teacher advises the students to carry a notebook, a pen and a water bottle.
As they walk, they begin exploring the plants and animals around them. Dr Raghu advises the students to notice the variety of smells in the park and emphasises respecting all living creatures and observing them without disturbing. Maniram chacha tells the students to not only observe different plants and animals but also to carefully listen to different sounds.
The students come across a variety of plants, including grasses, bushes, and large trees.
It is of birds sitting on the branches of trees, butterflies moving amazing how each bird has from flower to flower and monkeys jumping from one tree its own unique to another. They record their observations in their notebooks chirp. and discuss them with Dr Raghu and Maniram chacha. The students can hear the chirping of birds.
Dr Raghu informs them that each bird has a unique chirp.
Dr Raghu informs them that each bird has a unique chirp.
This is an example of diversity in nature.
Maniram chacha mimics different bird calls.
The students enthusiastically start copying him.
2.1 Diversity in Plants and Animals Around Us Activity 2.1: Let us explore and record Plan a nature walk with your teacher to a park or a nearby forest. While on the nature walk, observe different plants, insects, birds, and other animals. Also, note the weather 10 conditions, whether it is hot, cold, windy and so on.
You can collect different types of fallen leaves or flowers and create a scrapbook. Take care of the plants and animals in nature.
Ensure that you do not disturb the plants and animals in the park. Do not pluck leaves and flowers. Record your observations in Table 2.1 about the features of stems, leaves, flowers and anything interesting in various plants.
Some examples have been given for you in Fig.
Green leaves grass thin different points on the stem Arrangement of Hard a pair of leaves Pinkish 2. Tulsi and thin in the opposite purple Diversity in the Living World What similarities and differences did you find among the plants that you observed?
You must have observed that plants have a variety of features such as— tall/short, hard/soft stem different shapes of leaves and their arrangement on the stem or branches flowers varying in colour, shape, and scent Now, create a list of animals you observed during this walk or from your previous experiences.
You must have observed that plants have a variety of features such as— tall/short, hard/soft stem different shapes of leaves and their arrangement on the stem or branches flowers varying in colour, shape, and scent Now, create a list of animals you observed during this walk or from your previous experiences. Record the places where they live, the food they eat and the way they move around in Table 2.2. Some examples have been provided for you.
Name of Place where Food they The way Any other the animal they live eat they move observations (local name) around and features Carrying a Crow Tree Insects Fly and walk twig in its beak
Name of Place where Food they The way Any other the animal they live eat they move observations (local name) around and features Carrying a Crow Tree Insects Fly and walk twig in its beak
What are the similarities and differences among the animals that you have observed and recorded in Table 2.2?
Animals consume a diverse range of foods and exhibit a variety of movements.
Sketch the plants and animals observed by you in your notebook or prepare a scrapbook with leaves, flowers from different plants and feathers from animals.
While travelling to and from school, observe your surroundings and look out for a variety of plants and animals. Add the name of any plant or animal that you have not listed before in Tables 2.1 and 2.2.
Activity 2.2: Let us appreciate Close your eyes for 30 seconds and think of one plant and one animal that you have closely observed and appreciated very much. Now each one of you can draw the plant and animal that you thought of on the blackboard. What are your observations about the various plants and animals that have been drawn?
How many different plants and animals did the entire class draw on the blackboard? Do you think that there may be many more varieties of plants and animals other than those drawn on the board? The variety of plants and animals found in a particular region contributes to the biodiversity of that region.
Each member in the biodiversity of a region has a different role to play.
For example, trees provide food and shelter to some birds and other animals, animals help in spreading seeds after eating fruits, and so on. This shows that plants and animals are dependent on each other. How would you arrange your books and notebooks in groups?
Would arranging them in groups help you better organise your school bag?
Would arranging them in groups help you better organise your school bag? Now, let us look at the world around us. We are surrounded by a variety of plants and animals with different features about which you have learnt in section 2.1.
We can group them based on similarities and differences among them.
We can group them based on similarities and differences among them.
Activity 2.3: Let us group Collect pictures of various other plants and animals.
Paste each of these pictures on a different card. Divide your class in groups of 5–6 students each. Pool the cards prepared by the students in your group. Observe various features of plants and animals shown on the cards. Recall the features of plants and animals that you have listed in Tables 2.1 and 2.2.
Group them on the basis of common features. Share and discuss the basis of grouping you have made with other groups in your class.
What do you think are the reasons behind it? Different students might have chosen different common features for the grouping.
For example, some students may have chosen the height of plants as the basis for grouping while others might have chosen presence or absence of flowers as the basis for grouping of plants (See Fig.
2.2: Some possible criteria of groupings of plants and animals You may have grouped animals based on varied features, such as what they eat, where they live, what colour they are and how they move.
Grouping makes it easier to understand and study plants and animals on the basis of their similarities and differences.
You will learn more about the importance of grouping in our daily lives in the chapter, ‘Materials Around Us’. You must have noticed that plants show variation in the features related to stems, leaves, flowers, and more. The stems of different plants vary in thickness, height, and hardness, while the leaves vary in shape, colour, size and arrangement.
You might have tried grouping the plants in Activity 2.3 using one of these features.
You might have tried grouping the plants in Activity 2.3 using one of these features. You might have also learnt in earlier classes that plants can be grouped into herbs, shrubs, and trees based on their height and types of stem. Let us study the features of plants in more detail and group them on that basis.
Activity 2.4: Let us group Let us go on a nature walk again for some more interesting observations. Look closely at the height of different plants.
Activity 2.4: Let us group Let us go on a nature walk again for some more interesting observations. Look closely at the height of different plants.
Are these plants shorter than you, as tall as you, or taller Diversity in the Living World
Touch and feel the stems and try to bend them gently.
Can you bend the stem easily, or is it stiff?
Fill in your observations in Table 2.3. Name of Height Nature of stem Appearance of Name no. the plant branches of plant group Short/ Green/ Tender/ Thick/ Close Higher Medium/ Brown Hard Thin to the up on Tall ground the stem
What differences do you observe among herbs, shrubs, and trees?
How can you group plants as herbs, shrubs, and trees based on the data entered in Table 2.3? Some plants grow really tall and have hard, thick, brown, and woody stems.
Their branches typically start higher up
(a) Tree These plants are called trees. These plants often have many brown woody stems that start branching very close to the ground. These stems are hard but not as thick as the stem of a tree.
For example, a rose plant is a shrub (Fig.
Some plants are typically small with soft and green stems. For example, a tomato plant is a herb (Fig. Some plants with weak stems need support to climb and grow, and are called climbers.
Some plants creep along the ground and are called creepers.
Some plants creep along the ground and are called creepers.
What can be other features on the basis of which you can group plants?
You may observe thin lines on the leaves of the plants (Fig.
The pattern of veins on the leaf is called venation.
(a) Hibiscus leaf with (b) Banana leaf with (c) Grass leaf with reticulate venation parallel venation parallel venation Diversity in the Living World 2.4: Leaves showing different types of venation In some leaves, you can observe a net-like pattern of veins on both sides of a thick middle vein.
This pattern is called reticulate venation.
For example, leaves of hibiscus exhibit reticulate venation (Fig. In some leaves, you may observe that the veins run parallel.
This pattern is called parallel venation.
For example, the leaves of banana plants and grasses exhibit parallel venation (Fig. Do you think that plants can be grouped on the basis of venation present in their leaves? Now, let us try to explore roots of the plants.
Activity 2.6: Let us find out Visit an open area where wild herbs and grasses are growing.
Activity 2.6: Let us find out Visit an open area where wild herbs and grasses are growing. You may use small herbs for this exercise. Using a khurpi (trowel), carefully dig out a few different herbs without damaging the roots. To do this, you may wet the soil and loosen it. Wash the roots with water and observe them. After you are done observing, make sure to replant the herbs so that they may continue to thrive and grow.
What are the similarities and differences in the roots of the plants collected by you?
What are the similarities and differences in the roots of the plants collected by you?
What differences do you see in the roots of plants shown in Fig.
2.5: Types of roots Carefully observe the roots of a mustard plant in Fig.
The roots of this plant consist of one main root and small side roots arising from it.
Such roots are called fibrous roots 18 (Fig. Does your collection include any other grasses?
Is there any relation between the type of leaf venation and the type of root of the same plant?
Activity 2.7: Let us relate and analyse Collect saplings of five common plants from your school nursery or any other nurseries to plant in your school garden. Examples of such plants can include lemongrass, marigold, sadabahar (periwinkle), and others. Before planting them, observe their roots and the venation in their leaves. Record your observations in Table 2.4.
Name of the Type of leaf Type of root plant venation (fibrous/tap) (reticulate/ parallel)
Do you observe any relation between the leaf venation and types of root in these plants? A sadabahar plant has a taproot and its leaves have reticulate venation. other plants with reticulate venation have taproots too?
Lemongrass, on the other hand, has fibrous roots and its leaves have parallel venation.
Lemongrass, on the other hand, has fibrous roots and its leaves have parallel venation. Do other plants with parallel venation have fibrous roots too? Generally, plants with reticulate venation have taproots while those with parallel venation have fibrous roots.
Chickpea (chana) is another example of a plant with taproots and reticulate venation in leaves.
Chickpea (chana) is another example of a plant with taproots and reticulate venation in leaves.
Wheat is an example of a plant with fibrous roots and parallel venation in its leaves.
Activity 2.8: Let us compare Soak some chickpea and maize seeds in water for two or three days. Remove the seed coat of a chickpea.
Now, observe the structure of the chickpea and maize seeds.
You would notice that chickpea seeds are split into two parts (Fig. Plants that have seeds with two cotyledons are called dicotyledons (dicots).
Maize has a single thin cotyledon (Fig.
Plants with such seeds are called monocotyledons (monocots). What relation do you observe among leaf venation, root types and the number of cotyledons in seeds of a plant?
Dicot plants have reticulate venation and a taproot system while monocot plants have parallel venation and a fibrous root system.
Now, let us explore the grouping of animals in more detail. Just like plants, animals too are significantly different from one another. How can we group such a wide variety of animals?
What features can you think of to group them?
What features can you think of to group them? In Activity 2.3, you have already set some bases for grouping animals. Let us explore a few of these in more detail.
Activity 2.9: Let us find out You have recorded the movement of a few animals in Table 2.2.
Activity 2.9: Let us find out You have recorded the movement of a few animals in Table 2.2.
You may have also observed how other animals move from place to place.
You can add more animals that you may have observed and create a poster on the variety of animals.
Which body parts are used by the animals in the poster you created and those in Fig.
Name of the Type of Body parts used animal movement for movement 1. Pigeon Walks and flies Legs and wings 4.
Housefly Walks and flies Legs and wings 5.
What conclusions can you draw from the data given in Table 2.5? Different animals have different types of movement.
Animals can fly, run, crawl, walk, hop or jump, and so on.
They use different body parts for moving from one place to another. They may use wings, legs, and other parts that help them to move. Here, we have identified animals based on the types of movement and the body parts used for movement.
How can we group animals based on their movements?
How can we group animals based on their movements? Additionally, many animals differ from each other in shape, size, structure, colour, and other features. Some of these features can also be used to group animals in various ways.
Like plants, grouping of animals is important for understanding their diversity.
Janaki Ammal (1897–1984) was an Indian botanist dedicated to environmental work and helped to document and preserve India’s rich plant biodiversity.
She played a key role in the ‘Save Silent Valley’ movement.
Success Story—Save Silent Valley Movement This is a real story of a forest in the Palakkad district of Kerala.
It is about preserving untouched beauty of a moist evergreen forest and its rich biodiversity.
The battle against the proposal of a hydroelectric dam across the Kunthipuzha river persisted for 10 years. At that time, people used all possible available means, such as widespread awareness programmes, letters to editors, articles in, newspapers, seminars, and petitions and appeals in court.
The movement was successful in saving the Silent Valley.
2.3 Plants and Animals in Different Surroundings You might have observed during nature walks that different animals live in different surroundings. You have also recorded movement of animals in Table 2.5.
Does the movement of these animals depend upon their surroundings?
Let us consider fishes and goat as examples. They have streamlined bodies and fins for movement in water (Fig. Goats live in grassy areas and move with the help of legs (Fig.
The sizes and shapes of animals also differ from one another.
The sizes and shapes of animals also differ from one another. Legs Fins (a) A fish swims in water (b) A goat walks on the ground with the help of fins with the help of legs Fig. 2.8: Body parts used by animals for movement
Activity 2.10: Let us compare and analyse Look at Table 2.6.
Activity 2.10: Let us compare and analyse Look at Table 2.6.
Recreate a similar table on the blackboard. List the names of plants and animals you or your classmates have observed in the regions given in the table or already know about.
Discuss your observations with your classmates.
You might observe from Table 2.6 that the plants and animals found in one kind of region are different from those found in Fig.
Maya shares that she saw deodar trees in the Himalayas of Himachal Pradesh (Fig. These trees are conical in shape and have flexible and sloping branches.
Notice that these two types of plants Fig.
2.10: A deodar 24 found in different regions are different tree in the mountains Why does the biodiversity of a region vary from that of another?
There is very little water available in the deserts.
A hot desert is typically very hot during the day and very cold at night. Therefore, you will find plants and animals in these areas that can tolerate and survive both the hot conditions during the day and cold conditions at night. The fleshy stems of plants found in the desert can store water and help them tolerate the hot conditions in these places.
The mountains in extremely cold regions experience frequent snowfall.
The mountains in extremely cold regions experience frequent snowfall. In order to survive in such conditions, some of the trees have the ability to let the snow slide off easily. Conical shape and sloping branches of deodar trees enable them to do so easily.
You must have understood by now that the biodiversity varies from region to region because of diverse conditions.
You must have understood by now that the biodiversity varies from region to region because of diverse conditions.
Look at the images of a camel from the hot desert of Rajasthan (Fig.
What are the differences you observe between them?
What advantages do these differences provide to these camels?
The camel of the hot desert has long legs with wide hooves. Alex shares that his grandmother told him that the long legs and wide hooves help these camels to walk on the sandy desert without sinking into the sand.
On the other hand, the height and legs of camels of a cold desert are comparatively shorter than those found in a hot desert.
These short legs allow them to walk easily in mountainous regions. In deserts, food is not available easily.
Camels found in the hot desert have one hump each that helps them to survive during the scarcity of food.
Camels found in the cold desert have two humps each. These two humps shrink in late winters because there is not much food available in the cold desert and they have to use food stored in their humps during that time. Moreover, they grow long hair from head to neck, which help them survive the cold winters of Ladakh.
What other features can help camels to survive in the desert?
Other students also start sharing their observations. Kashi from Rajasthan says that camels excrete small amounts of urine, their dung is dry, and they do not sweat. As camels do not lose much water from their bodies, they can survive for many days without drinking water.
Maya talks about seeing plants with beautiful bright flowers, rhododendrons, in the Shola forests of Nilgiris.
Maya talks about seeing plants with beautiful bright flowers, rhododendrons, in the Shola forests of Nilgiris.
Here, rhododendrons are of shorter height and have smaller leaves to survive through the heavy winds on mountain tops.
So, even plants such as rhododendrons may exhibit different features in different regions to survive the conditions of those regions.
Sagar tells his classmates that he went to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands with his parents for a special event.
His father explained that the streamlined body of fish helps 26 them to swim in water. We have learnt that the plants and animals living in a particular region have special features that make them fit to survive there.
The special features that enable plants and animals to survive in a particular region are called adaptations.
The shape of the deodar tree and the height of the rhododendron are adaptations that enable them to survive in the mountainous regions. The place where plants and animals live is called their habitat.
For example, the habitat of sea turtles is the sea or the ocean.
The habitat of a camel is the hot or the cold desert, and the habitat of a rhododendron is the mountains. The habitat of plants and animals provides them food, water, air, shelter and other needs for their survival. Many types of plants and animals may share the same habitat.
Habitat plays an important role in shaping the biodiversity of a region.
Habitat plays an important role in shaping the biodiversity of a region. Salim Ali (1896–1987) travelled across India to observe diversity in birds. He prepared a list of birds and documented their travel routes and habitats.
He recorded the regions with high diversity of birds and took measures to conserve these regions.
He recorded the regions with high diversity of birds and took measures to conserve these regions.
Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur, Rajasthan and Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary in Mandya, Karnataka are examples of regions he preserved.
What are the different ways in which you can group plants and animals based on their habitats?
One way is to group them into those ‘that live on land’ and those ‘that live in water’.
Some examples of terrestrial habitats are forests, deserts, grasslands, and mountains. The plants and animals that live in water are said to live in aquatic habitats.
Some examples of aquatic habitats are ponds, lakes, rivers, and oceans.
Some animals, such as frogs, can live in water as well as on land. What would happen if the habitat of a plant or an animal is damaged?
What would happen if a goat does not get grass to eat?
Check with your parents, grandparents, and neighbours to know about the plants, birds, insects or any other animal they used to see frequently in their childhood but do not see as often now. These changes often happen when habitats are damaged. The damage to habitats of plants and animals results in loss of their homes, food, and other resources.
This leads to the loss of biodiversity.
This leads to the loss of biodiversity. The population of the Bengal Tiger, Cheetah, and Great Indian Bustard has declined in India due to loss of natural habitats caused by human activities. The Government of India has initiated several projects to conserve our biodiversity.
‘Project Tiger’ was initiated in 1973 to protect the declining population of the Bengal Tiger.
‘Project Tiger’ was initiated in 1973 to protect the declining population of the Bengal Tiger.
The ‘Cheetah Reintroduction Project’ was initiated in 2022 to restore the population of the Cheetah.
Traditionally Protected Forests: Sacred Groves Sacred groves are undisturbed patches of forests.
Their sizes may vary from quite small to very large.
They are home to different kinds of plants and animals, including numerous medicinal plants. These are protected by the local community and no one is allowed to harm any animals and cut trees in these groves, or disturb the area.
This way, sacred groves are a community protected Sacred grove from the Western treasure of biodiversity.
We must protect biodiversity to ensure our planet is full of life, helping plants and animals to survive and thrive. We are surrounded by a large variety of plants and animals.
Such variety of plants and animals is a part of biodiversity. Plants and animals can be grouped on the basis of similarities and differences among them. Plants have similarities and differences based on features associated with roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and so on. The method of arranging things into groups based on their common features is called grouping. Plants can be grouped into herbs, shrubs, and trees based on their heights, types of stem, and branching patterns. Plants can also be grouped as dicotyledons (dicots) and monocotyledons (monocots) based on the number of cotyledons in their seeds. Monocots generally exhibit parallel venation in their leaves and possess fibrous roots while dicots typically exhibit reticulate venation in their leaves and possess taproots. Animals have different types of movement that can be a basis for their grouping. Biodiversity of different regions varies because of distinct environmental conditions. The special features that enable plants and animals to survive in a particular region are called adaptations.
The place where plants and animals live is their habitat. Based on their habitats, animals and plants can be grouped as terrestrial and aquatic. Due to damage of their habitats, plants and animals lose their homes, food and other resources resulting in the loss of biodiversity. We must protect biodiversity to ensure that our planet is full of life, helping plants and animals to survive and thrive. What differences do you find among the roots and leaf venation of their plants? Names of some animals are given below.
Write the names of aquatic animals in the area marked ‘A’ and terrestrial animals in the area marked ‘B’.
Write the names of aquatic animals in the area marked ‘A’ and terrestrial animals in the area marked ‘B’. Enter the names of animals living in both habitats in part ‘C’. Horse, Dolphin, Frog, Sheep, Crocodile, Squirrel, Whale, Earthworm, Pigeon, Tortoise
Manu’s mother maintains a kitchen garden.
Manu’s mother maintains a kitchen garden.
One day, she Diversity in the Living World
Examine a radish and write what type of root it is.
What type of venation would you observe in the leaves of radish plant?
Point out the similarities and differences between them. What are the reasons for these differences?
Group the following animals into two groups based on any feature other than those discussed in the chapter— cow, cockroach, pigeon, bat, tortoise, whale, fish, grasshopper, lizard.
As the population grows and people want more comfortable lives, forests are being cut down to meet various needs. How do you think we can address this challenge?
Raj argues with his friend Sanjay that “Gudhal (hibiscus) plant is a shrub.” What questions can Sanjay ask for clarification?
Based on the information in the table, find out examples of these plants for each group. (a) What other similarities do plants of group A have? (b) What other similarities do plants of group B have?
Observe the labelled part of a duck in the picture given below.
What differences do you observe in the feet of the duck compared to the other birds? Which activity would the duck be able to perform using this part? Read about one Indian scientist or a wildlife biologist who is working towards protection of India’s biodiversity.
Prepare a brief report. Explore the contributions of Divya Mudappa, Usha Lachungpa, Ghazala Shahabuddin, Nandini Velho, Vidya Athreya, Uma Ramakrishnan and Divya Karnad towards biodiversity in India.
Prepare a brief report. Explore the contributions of Divya Mudappa, Usha Lachungpa, Ghazala Shahabuddin, Nandini Velho, Vidya Athreya, Uma Ramakrishnan and Divya Karnad towards biodiversity in India.
Prepare a report of the work done by any three of them.
List them in your notebook. With the help of your teacher, plan a field visit or a nature walk.
Prepare a class biodiversity register by consolidating the observations and notes of all the students taken during the field visit or nature walk. Find out about ‘Project Tiger’ and other similar projects initiated in India to protect our biodiversity.
Initiate a discussion in the class on how you can protect biodiversity around you. Prepare a group-wise report that includes suggestions given by members of each group. Interact with elders in your family or neighbourhood to find out various plants and animals that they see now but were not seen earlier and vice-versa.
Collect pictures of these plants and animals and paste them in a scrapbook.
Collect pictures of these plants and animals and paste them in a scrapbook. Find out more about them from your teacher.
Prepare a group-wise report that includes suggestions given by members of each group. Interact with elders in your family or neighbourhood to find out various plants and animals that they see now but were not seen earlier and vice-versa.