In nature, plants and animals do not live separately. They depend on each other in many ways. This relationship is important for life to continue on Earth.
How Animals Depend on Plants
- Animals need plants for food and shelter:
- Food — herbivores (plant-eating animals) like cows, goats, and deer eat grass, leaves, and fruits.
- Shelter — many animals live in or near trees and plants. Birds build nests in trees. Squirrels store food in tree hollows.
- Oxygen — plants release oxygen during photosynthesis, and all animals (including humans) breathe in this oxygen to survive.
How Plants Depend on Animals
- Plants also need animals to survive and grow:
- Pollination — bees, butterflies, and birds carry pollen from flower to flower, helping plants produce seeds and fruits.
- Seed dispersal — animals eat fruits and drop the seeds far from the parent plant, helping plants grow in new places. Birds and squirrels also bury seeds.
- Nutrients — when animals leave droppings on the ground, it acts as a natural fertiliser and helps plants grow.
Interdependence in Nature
The way plants and animals help each other is called interdependence. No living thing can survive completely alone. This balance in nature is called the balance of nature or natural balance.
A bee visits a flower to collect nectar. While doing so, pollen sticks to its body and gets carried to the next flower. This helps the plant produce seeds. The bee gets food, and the plant gets help reproducing.
A monkey eats a mango and drops the seed elsewhere. Later, a new mango tree grows there. The monkey got food; the plant spread to a new place.
Habitats
- A habitat is the natural home of a plant or animal. Plants and animals in the same habitat are well suited to the conditions there:
- Forest — trees, tigers, monkeys, deer
- Pond — water plants, frogs, fish, ducks
- Desert — cactus, camels, lizards
Common mistakes
Children sometimes think animals only help plants by eating them. In fact, animals help plants by dispersing seeds and pollinating flowers. Also, not all animals eat plants — carnivores eat other animals, but they still depend on plants indirectly (through the food chain).
Summary
- Animals depend on plants for food, shelter, and oxygen.
- Plants depend on animals for pollination and seed dispersal.
- This relationship is called interdependence.
- A habitat is the natural home of plants and animals.
- Protecting plants and animals means protecting life on Earth.