Why Do Plants and Animals Depend on Each Other?
Have you ever questioned yourself about what we eat? Humans usually eat Rice, Chicken Pizza or Burgers, French Fries, and many more. We all know that humans are solemnly dependent on plants and animals for many reasons. For numerous purposes, plants and animals (including humans) are interdependent.
Forest is home to many plants, animals, and several microorganisms where various organisms are together and interconnected to form a biotic community or otherwise called biota.
Either directly or indirectly, both plants and animals depend on each other. For example, rats consume grains and plants and where snakes eat a rat, which in turn, is fed by an eagle. All these main consequences happen because of the interdependence of plants and animals in the food chain.
An Overview
Spices are incompatible with one other. To survive, all living things require the presence of other living things. Food, water, and shelter are all necessities that all living beings rely on their surroundings to provide. Physical elements including soil, air, and temperature, as well as other organisms, make up their environment. An organism is a living being that exists on its own. Many species in their surroundings interact with one another. They may, in reality, require the assistance of other organisms to survive. Interdependence is the term for this situation.
Plants and animals have had a long and symbiotic relationship, and just as plants paved the path for animal existence on land, animals paved the way for plant survival by giving fertilizer via decomposition and feces. Animals also help pollinate plants and provide carbon dioxide, which is used by plants as a source of energy.
How Do Plants depend on Animals?
Plants eat decomposed soil material for nutrition, and plant-eating animals eat decayed soil material for survival. For sustenance and survival, predators consume the lower species in the food chain. When live organisms die, they decompose and become part of the soil, where they can be devoured by plants once more. In this way, the cycle continues to exist. Plants and animals are reliant on each other for reproduction in addition to food. Pollen is carried between flowers by bees, for example. Pollination aids in the reproduction of several plants.
How Do Animals depend on Plants?
Forest vegetation also aids in the establishment of a protective barrier surrounding the creatures that live there. This safety is provided both inside and outside the environment. Trees and big bushes, for example, protect animals from predators by providing camouflage. This also protects animals against outside effects such as harsh weather and climates to some extent. Aside from that, forests are home to a wide range of species. Plants are also utilized by animals (and humans) to construct nests (and or homes). Carnivorous animals consume herbivorous creatures, and without plants, the herbivores would perish, so carnivores would quickly become extinct.
Interdependence of Plants and Animals Food Chain
An illustration on the interdependence of plants and animals in the food chain is given below.
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Observing the above illustration, plants absorb decayed soil material for their nutrients and are consumed by plant-eating animals for protection. Then, the carnivores eat the lower food chain animals for their secured nutrition and survival. When living organisms perish, they decompose and form part of the soil that can be re-consumed by plants. In this manner, the cycle continues to exist.
In addition to food dependence, there is reproductive dependence between plants and animals. For instance, bees are the major pollen carriers which are transferred between the flowers. Pollination helps to reproduce certain kinds of plants. The bees also obtain the nectar of flowers as their nourishment, thereby creating a symbiotic relationship inside themselves.
Apart from pollination, different animals aid in the development of plants by serving as seed carriers. It is essential that plants grow over a sufficient area for their survival. That is because numerous plants growing in the same region don't get enough water, sunlight, and nutrients.
Forest's flora also helps to protect the animals living within them. This protection is offered both inside and outside the ecosystem. For example, trees and large bushes help protect animals from predators by supplying camouflage. Also, animals are protected from outside influences such as extreme weather and climates to a certain degree. Apart from these, it is also clear that forests are home to a variety of animals.
Forests are an ecosystem. In all ecosystems, living organisms always act as self dependents for their continued existence.
An Example of Interdependence Between Plants and Animals
Let us discuss the example of the interdependence between plants and animals. Almost all animals are dependent on plants for the development of oxygen and glucose that the body can use to produce energy. Some special relationships, such as that between coral and parrotfish, which eat the sick part of the coral, are good examples of interdependence between plants and animals. We may even move down the road of describing how plants can exist and thrive without animals technically.
Plants being autotrophs make their own food. They often undergo cellular respiration where they usually intake oxygen (O2) and release carbon dioxide (CO2), which they will then use again for photosynthesizing. Plants are thus dependent on other organisms, but they can survive on their own.
Interdependence of Plants and Animals in Forest
Interdependence is a consistent relationship between organisms that lead a way of life together.
Plants are associated with animals as they provide food in the form of fruits, leaves, stems, and roots. Plants also offer protection for the safety of the species.
In return for the services provided by the plants in the forests, the animals contribute to the dispersal of fruits and seeds, thus contributing to the colonization of specific species of the plant. Thus, it can be said that plants and animals live in a mutually symbiotic relationship.
For instance, in forests, monkeys stay in the mango trees that are sheltered as well as mangoes as their food sources. Monkeys disperse mango seeds and help to colonize mango trees in the area.
Interdependence of Plants and Animals in Various Ecosystems
The major interdependence of plants and animals is seen in the food cycle. Plants absorb nutrients from decomposed bodies. Lower-grade animals eat these plants and higher-grade animals like carnivores eat the lower-grade animals. When these animals perish, they decompose and become part of the soil and plants absorb nutrients from it. This cycle continues. The interdependence of plants and animals diagram is shown below.
Food Chain
Ecosystems can broadly be classified into terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Terrestrial Ecosystem: In ecosystems like forests, grasslands, etc., plants use the decomposed animal bodies to assimilate nutrients from the soil and thereby grow. Both herbivores and carnivores depend on plants for food. Bees, birds, and some insects help in the reproduction of plants. Some animals like monkeys act as seed carriers. Plants often give protection and shelter to animals.
Aquatic Ecosystem: In aquatic ecosystems, aquatic animals use the dissolved oxygen in the water for respiration. Aquatic plants produce oxygen through photosynthesis and this is used by aquatic animals. Aquatic animals use this oxygen for their metabolism. The decomposed aquatic animal bodies contain high amounts of ammonium which substantiate the growth of aquatic plants. In coral reefs, parrotfish eat the algae of the reef and thereby keep the reef healthy and clean. Coral reefs provide shelter for parrot fish.
Interesting Facts
The energy present in a food chain can be traced back to the Sun. This happens because plants are the first members of the food chain and they use Sun to make their food.
The food chain shows how different animals are dependent on each other for their food but they can also form freiendships.
Key Features
Plants and animals are interdependent on each other.
Plants depend on animals for pollination, and they absorb nutrients from decomposed animal bodies to grow.
Animals depend on plants for food, shelter, protection, to get oxygen and so on.
To maintain a stable ecosystem, these interdependencies are mandatory.
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Points to Remember
Plants require oxygen to breathe. However, they produce far more oxygen during photosynthesis than they use during respiration.
This is why plants are said to produce oxygen.
Plants create oxygen, which is utilized by animals during respiration, while animals exhale carbon dioxide, which is used by plants for photosynthesis. As a result, they are extremely reliant on one another.
The interdependence of animals and plants allows for the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to be maintained.
FAQs on Interdependence of Plants and Animals: Key Biology Concept
1. What is meant by the interdependence of plants and animals?
Interdependence means that plants and animals rely on each other for survival. Neither group can exist in isolation. This relationship is fundamental to the balance of any ecosystem, involving a continuous exchange of essential elements like food, gases, and nutrients. For example, plants produce oxygen and food, which animals need, while animals produce carbon dioxide that plants require for photosynthesis.
2. In what primary ways do animals depend on plants?
Animals depend on plants for several critical needs:
Food: Plants are producers at the bottom of the food chain. Herbivores eat plants directly, and carnivores eat herbivores, making plants the ultimate source of energy for almost all animals.
Oxygen: Through the process of photosynthesis, plants release oxygen into the atmosphere, which most animals, including humans, need for respiration.
Shelter: Many animals use plants for shelter and protection. Birds build nests in trees, insects live on leaves, and larger animals hide from predators in forests and grasslands.
3. How do plants depend on animals for their survival?
Plants also rely heavily on animals for key life processes:
Carbon Dioxide: Animals release carbon dioxide during respiration, which plants use as a crucial ingredient for photosynthesis to create their food.
Pollination: Many plants require animals like bees, butterflies, and birds to transfer pollen between flowers. This process, known as pollination, is essential for fertilization and the production of seeds and fruits.
Seed Dispersal: Animals help spread plant seeds to new areas by eating fruits and excreting the seeds elsewhere or by carrying seeds on their fur. This helps plants colonise new habitats and avoids overcrowding.
4. What are some common examples of interdependence between plants and animals?
A classic example is the relationship between bees and flowering plants. The bee gets nectar (food) from the flower, and in the process, it carries pollen to other flowers, helping the plant reproduce. Another example is an oak tree and a squirrel. The squirrel gets acorns (food) from the tree and often buries them for later. The forgotten acorns can then grow into new oak trees, demonstrating both food provision and seed dispersal.
5. What would happen to an ecosystem if the animal population suddenly disappeared?
If all animals disappeared, the ecosystem would face a catastrophic collapse. Many plant species would be unable to reproduce without animals for pollination and seed dispersal. The carbon cycle would be disrupted, as a major source of atmospheric carbon dioxide would be gone, potentially slowing down photosynthesis. Furthermore, the soil would become less fertile over time because the nutrient cycle, which relies on animal waste and decomposition, would be broken. This would eventually lead to the decline of plant life as well.
6. How does the delicate balance between plant and animal populations maintain a healthy ecosystem?
The balance between plant and animal populations, often called ecological balance, is crucial for stability. Plants, as producers, provide the energy base. Herbivores control plant growth by eating them, and carnivores control the herbivore population. If there are too few plants, herbivores starve. If there are too few herbivores, carnivores starve, and certain plants may become overgrown. This interconnected food web ensures that resources are used sustainably and that no single species dominates to the detriment of others.
7. Besides food and gases, what is another crucial but less obvious way plants and animals are interdependent?
A crucial but often overlooked form of interdependence is the role animals play in creating and enriching soil. When animals die and decompose, their bodies release vital nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus back into the soil. Earthworms, insects, and microorganisms (which are part of the animal kingdom) break down dead organic matter, aerating the soil and making these nutrients available for plants to absorb through their roots. Without this process of decomposition, soil would quickly become depleted, and plant life could not be sustained.
