What is Meant by the Interdependence of Plants and Animals?
Interdependence of plants and animals means plants and animals are dependent on each other in one or another way.
Interdependence is the relationship between the organisms, which says that without one, the other’s life is impossible. So, here we can say that without plants, animal life is impossible and vice versa.
How Plants and Animals are Interdependent on Each other?
In any given ecosystem, all the living organisms, plants, and animals are interdependent on each other. Like we humans eat fruits of trees thus trees or plants giving us food.
At the same time, we are throwing the seed to some other place. This helps in the dispersal of seeds. So, plants are also getting benefitted.
Animals are dependent on plants for the following reasons:-
1. For food:
Animals are dependent on plants for food directly or indirectly.
Like cows and buffaloes eat plants directly to get energy, but tigers eat cows to get energy. So, tigers are getting energy indirectly from plants.
On the basis of the dependence of animals on plants for foods, animals are classified into the following groups:
1) Herbivores- E.g., Cow, goat, etc., directly eats the plants for food. They are called primary consumers.
2) Carnivores- These animals depend indirectly on plants. They are secondary consumers. Here animals are dependent on plants indirectly. E.g., Lions, tigers, wolves, etc., eat the flesh of other animals.
3) Omnivores- Humans, bears, dogs, cats, etc., come under this category which can eat both plants and animals.
4) Scavengers- Vultures, Hyena eats the flesh of dead animals. They are indirectly dependent on plants.
5) Decomposers- E.g., Fungi, and bacteria break down the dead body into simpler forms which are released in soil and are used by plants.
Fig: Interdependence of Plants and Animals Diagram (Food chain)
2. For Habitat:
Plants act as a habitat for many animals. Like arboreal animals, different birds build their nest on plants, etc.
3. For Oxygen:
Plants produce oxygen during the process of photosynthesis which is used by animals for respiration.
After respiration, animals get energy in the form of ATP, which is used for various metabolic activities.
Fig: Photosynthesis
4. For Protection:
Plants help in camouflaging animals so that they can get protected from predators, or predators can sneak up on prey.
5. For maintaining the water cycle:
Plants play an important role in maintaining the water cycle due to their process of transpiration through the open surface of their leaves.
In this transpiration, process water evaporates from the leaf surface and thus contributes to the water cycle.
6. For Maintaining the Carbon dioxide level:
During the photosynthesis process, plants take in CO2 and release O2. Thus maintaining CO2 levels in the atmosphere.
Plants are dependent on animals for following reasons :-
1. For Carbon dioxide:
Animals produce carbon dioxide during respiration which is used by plants during photosynthesis for the preparation of their own food.
2. For Pollination:
Animals help in the reproduction process of plants.
A number of birds, insects, and bats help in pollination in plants.
Pollination is the transfer of pollen grains from the anther to the stigma of the same or another flower of the same species.
Animals and birds play an important role in cross-pollination.
Fig: Bees helping in pollination
3. For Seed Dispersal and Avoiding Competition:
Plants cannot move from one place to another, but their own variety is distributed everywhere. This is due to animals that help in the dispersal of fruits and seeds.
Also, if all the plants would grow in the same place, there would be a shortage of food, light, space, water, etc. So, seed dispersal is important.
4. For inorganic nutrients:
Excreta of animals are nutritive material for the plants that act as manure.
When animals die, their dead body is decomposed by the decomposers like bacteria and fungi, and its complex organic material is broken down into simpler inorganic substances, which are released into the soil, from where it can be easily absorbed by the plants through their roots.
Significance of Interdependence of Plants and Animals
1. Flow of energy-
Due to the interdependence of plants and animals, there occurs a flow of energy in the ecosystem.
Plants get energy from the Sun. They use it during photosynthesis. This is stored in the plants as starch.
Humans and animals get this energy when they eat the plants. Carnivores eat herbivores to get this energy.
2. Balance in nature-
Due to the interdependence of plants and animals, there is balance in nature, i.e., the numbers of different organisms keep on being checked.
As herbivores eat plants, so the number of plants is under control. Carnivores feed on herbivores, so the number of herbivores is under control and so on.
The hunting of animals disturbs the balance in nature. If humans and animals become less in number, plants may not be able to get enough CO2 to prepare their food. Also their pollination and seed and fruit dispersal will be hampered.
Similarly, if plants become less in number, humans, and animals may not get enough food to eat and O2 to breathe. Cutting down trees and forest fires destroys plants and trees.
So, we should maintain balance in nature by:
a. Stopping the illegal hunting of animals and thus protecting them.
b. Preventing deforestation and encouraging afforestation.