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Difference between flora and fauna is studied to know the characteristic features of the two important components of biodiversity. Plants of a geographical region form flora, Animals of a geographical region form fauna. All plants belong to the kingdom Plantae, whereas all animals of the fauna belong to Animalia. The person who studies flora is a botanist and a person who studies fauna is a zoologist. Flora consists of autotrophs that synthesise their food by photosynthesis due to the presence of chlorophyll in chloroplasts. All organisms in a fauna are heterotrophs as they cannot prepare their own food.
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Key Takeaways: Biodiversity, Flora, Fauna, Plants, Animals, Animalia, Plantae, Autotrophs, Heterotrophs, Photosynthesis.
Classification of Organisms
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Carl Linnaeus in 1735 proposed a two-kingdom classification, namely:
- Vegetabilia (flora) and
- Animalia (fauna).
R. Whittaker proposed a five-kingdom classification that includes Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae and Animalia. Nature consists of both plants and animals. They are geographically termed flora and fauna.
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Biodiversity
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Biodiversity consists of all the different kinds of living organisms in an area. It includes all varieties of bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals in the region. It is basically divided into flora and fauna.
Flora
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The word flora is derived from a Latin word that means the “goddess of flowers.” It is a collection of all plants in a region. It is classified on the basis of evolution, climate, habits and habitats. Flora is mostly classified and recognised on the basis of geographical regions.
Fauna
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The word fauna is derived from a Latin word, “Faunus” which means the “forest spirits.” It is a collection of all animals in a region, It is classified on the basis of evolution and habitats. Fauna is also classified and recognised on the basis of geographical regions.
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Difference between Flora and Fauna
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Differences between flora and fauna are given in the following table
| Particulars | Flora | Fauna |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | All the plants of a geographical region are together called the flora. | All the animals of a geographical region are together called the fauna |
| Study | The study of flora or plants is called botany. | The study of fauna or animals is called zoology. |
| One who studies | The person who studies plants is called the botanist. | The person who studies animals is called the zoologist. |
| Categories | Native flora, exotic flora (foreign), agricultural flora (crops), horticultural flora (gardens), and weed flora (unwanted plants). | Avifauna (birds), Piscifauna (fishes), Cryofauna (cold deserts), cryptofauna (yet to be discovered), epifauna (on the water surface), infauna (bottom of water body), microfauna (microscopic animals), macrofauna (visible animals), megafauna (very large animals), and meiofauna (stream bottom. |
| Nutrition | Flora consists of autotrophs due to the presence of photosynthetic pigments. They prepare their own food materials through photosynthesis. | The fauna consists of heterotrophs due to the absence of photosynthetic pigments. They cannot prepare their own food materials. |
| Ecological role | They are Producers. | Primary, secondary, and tertiary consumers. |
| Cell Wall | Cells are surrounded by a rigid cell wall. | The cell wall is absent. Cells are surrounded by cell membranes. |
| Chloroplast | Present with chlorophyll. | Absent |
| Locomotion | Generally non-motile. | Generally, motile |
| Example | Mosses, ferns, pines, flowering plants | Cnidaria, helminth worms, arthropods, molluscs, echinoderms, Pisces, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. |
So, biodiversity consists of flora and fauna. Flora is a collection of all plants in a region. Fauna is a collection of all animals in a region. They are ecologically, geographically, and economically classified.
Things to Remember
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- Biodiversity consists of all the different kinds of living organisms in an area.
- Flora is a collection of all plants in a geographical region. Fauna is a collection of all plants in a geographical region.
- Flora is studied under botany and fauna is studied under zoology.
- Flora consists of photosynthetic autotrophic producers with chloroplasts and chlorophyll pigments.
- The fauna consists of non-photosynthetic heterotrophic consumers without chloroplasts and chlorophyll pigments.
- Flora consists of mosses, ferns, pines, and flowering plants, Fauna consists of Cnidaria, helminth worms, arthropods, molluscs, echinoderms, Pisces, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
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Sample Questions
Ques 1: What is biodiversity? What are its two important components? (2 marks)
Ans: All the different kinds of living organisms in an area are called biodiversity. It consists of all varieties of microorganisms, bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals in the region. The two components of biodiversity are flora and fauna.
Ques 2: What is flora? Give examples (2 marks)
Ans: A collection of all plants in a geographical region is called flora. It is classified on the basis of evolution, climate, habits and habitats. It consists of mosses, ferns, gymnosperms and flowering plants.
Ques 3: What are the different examples of fauna? (2 marks)
Ans: A collection of all animals in a geographical region is called fauna. It is classified on the basis of evolution and habitats. The fauna consists of Cnidaria, helminth worms, arthropods, molluscs, echinoderms, Pisces, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
Ques 4: What are the different categories of flora? (2 marks)
Ans: Flora consists of different categories as native flora (of a region), exotic flora (plants from foreign lands), agricultural flora (crops), horticultural flora (garden plants), and weed flora (unwanted plants).
Ques 5: What are the different categories of fauna with meanings? (2 marks)
Ans: The different categories of fauna are
Avifauna - birds
Pisci fauna - fishes
Microfauna - microscopic animals)
Macrofauna - visible animals
Megafauna - very large animals)
Meiofauna - animals at the stream bottom.
Ques 6: How do you classify flora on the basis of nutrition? (2 marks)
Ans: Flora is classified as autotrophs due to the presence of a photosynthetic pigment called chlorophyll. They prepare their own food materials through photosynthesis by absorbing sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water.
Ques 7: How do you classify fauna on the basis of nutrition? (2 marks)
Ans: The fauna is classified as heterotrophs due to the absence of photosynthetic pigments. They cannot prepare their own food materials. They have to depend on plants and other animals for nutrition.
Ques 8: What is the role of flora in the ecosystem? (2 marks)
Ans: In the ecosystem, flora constitutes producers, green plants. They produce and supply food to the entire ecosystem. They trap the ultimate source of energy on the earth, which is sunlight. They convert solar energy into chemical energy. They are autotrophs due to the presence of a photosynthetic pigment called chlorophyll. They prepare their own food materials through photosynthesis by absorbing sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water.
Ques 9:What is the role of fauna in the ecosystem? (2 marks)
Ans: In the ecosystem fauna constitutes consumers. The fauna has heterotrophs. They do not produce food due to the absence of photosynthetic pigments. Consumers are classified as primary, secondary, and tertiary consumers. Primary consumers are herbivores (grasshoppers). They directly depend on producers like green plants. Secondary consumers are carnivores (snakes). They depend on primary consumers. Tertiary consumers (eagle) depend on secondary consumers for food.
Ques 10: Write any five differences between flora and fauna? (2 marks)
Ans: The following are the differences between flora and fauna
| Flora | Fauna |
| All the green plants of a geographical region are called flora | All the animals of a geographical region are called the fauna |
| Flora can be classified as native flora, exotic flora, agricultural flora, horticultural flora, and weed flora | Flora can be classified as microfauna, macrofauna, and megafauna |
| Flora consists of photosynthetic autotrophs due to the presence of photosynthetic pigments. | The fauna consists of heterotrophs. They cannot prepare their own food materials. |
| Flora consists of producers in the ecosystem. | The fauna consists of primary, secondary, and tertiary consumers in the ecosystem. |
| Flora consists of mosses, ferns, pines, flowering plants | The fauna consists of worms, insects, snails, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals |
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