🌿 Nature is full of variety – different kinds of plants, animals, birds, and insects. In this chapter, you will explore this wonderful biodiversity and learn how we group living things based on their characteristics, movement, habitat, and structure.
📖 Meaning of Diversity
Diversity means the variety of life we see around us – trees, grasses, flowers, insects, birds, animals, etc. Each has unique features, sounds, shapes, and behaviors. For example, every bird has a different chirp!
🌱 2.1 Diversity in Plants and Animals Around Us
- Different plants have different stems, leaves, and flowers.
- Different animals eat, live, and move in different ways.
📝 Activity 2.1 – Nature Walk
Observe the plants and animals in your surroundings. Create tables like these:
📋 Table: Features of Plants
| S. No. | Plant Name | Stem | Leaves | Flowers | Other Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grass | Soft, thin | Single, alternate | Green | – |
| 2 | Tulsi | Hard, thin | Paired, opposite | Pink-purple | – |
📋 Table: Features of Animals
| Animal | Habitat | Food | Movement | Special Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crow | Tree | Insects | Fly, walk | Carries twigs |
| Ant | Soil | Seeds, insects | Walks (6 legs) | – |
🧪 Grouping Plants and Animals
We group living beings based on their similar features.
- Plants ➤ Herbs, Shrubs, Trees
- Based on: Height, Stem, Branching
🍃 Leaf Venation and Roots
- Reticulate venation → Tap root (e.g., Hibiscus)
- Parallel venation → Fibrous root (e.g., Grass, Banana)
🌱 Seed Types
- Dicot ➤ 2 Cotyledons, Taproot, Reticulate venation (e.g., Chickpea)
- Monocot ➤ 1 Cotyledon, Fibrous root, Parallel venation (e.g., Maize)
🐾 2.2 Grouping Animals
- Based on movement, food, body parts, habitat
📝 Activity 2.9 – Animal Movements
| Animal | Movement | Body Part Used |
|---|---|---|
| Ant | Walks | Legs |
| Fish | Swims | Fins |
| Pigeon | Flies, walks | Wings, legs |
🌍 2.3 Plants and Animals in Different Surroundings
Different regions (deserts, oceans, mountains) have different plants and animals adapted to those regions.
Examples:
- Camels in hot deserts – long legs, one hump
- Camels in cold deserts – shorter legs, two humps
- Deodar trees – sloped branches to shed snow
🏞️ Types of Habitats
- Terrestrial: Forests, deserts, grasslands, mountains
- Aquatic: Oceans, ponds, lakes, rivers
- Amphibians: Animals like frogs that live on land and water
🌱 Adaptations
Adaptation is a special feature that helps a plant or animal survive in its environment.
📌 Key Terms
- Biodiversity – Variety of life
- Habitat – Natural home of a plant/animal
- Adaptation – Survival features
- Dicot/Monocot – Based on number of cotyledons
🧠 Chapter Summary
- Plants and animals show a wide range of diversity.
- We group them by features like leaves, roots, movement, habitat.
- Habitats affect biodiversity and adaptation.
- Protecting biodiversity is important to sustain life on Earth.
Class 6 Science Chapter 2, Diversity in the Living World, NCERT Solutions 2025–26, Adaptations, Habitats, Grouping of Plants and Animals💡 Let’s Discuss – Answers
🔹 1. Group these animals: Whale, Frog, Dog, Fish, Cow – aquatic, terrestrial, or both?
- 🐳 Aquatic animals: Whale, Fish
- 🐄 Terrestrial animals: Dog, Cow
- 🐸 Both (Amphibian): Frog
👉 Frog lives both on land and in water, so it’s an amphibian.
🔹 2. What differences do you notice between mountain goat and plain goat?
| Feature | Mountain Goat | Plain Goat |
|---|---|---|
| Legs | Short and strong for climbing rocks | Longer for walking on flat land |
| Fur | Thick and woolly to survive cold | Thin fur, suitable for warm weather |
| Hooves | Hard and sharp to grip rocky surfaces | Flat and wide for plain terrain |
👉 These differences are called adaptations that help them survive in their respective environments.
🔹 3. Observe and list plants in your school based on height and stem type.
| Plant Name | Height | Stem Type | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mango Tree | Tall | Hard, thick, woody | Tree |
| Rose Plant | Medium | Woody but thin | Shrub |
| Tomato | Short | Soft, green | Herb |
| Money Plant | Climber | Weak stem | Climber |
| Pumpkin | Spreads on ground | Soft, weak | Creeper |
✅ Observation: Plants can be grouped into herbs, shrubs, trees, climbers, and creepers based on their height and stem.
