Biotic and abiotic elements are part of this ecosystem where biotic factors include flora and fauna. Flora refers to plant life whereas fauna refers to animal life. On the other side, abiotic factors are the non-living components of the interconnected network of the ecosystem including water, soil, temperature, sunlight, pollution and wind.
Let’s Explore Flora and Fauna Meaning
It's important to understand flora and fauna meaning to become aware of their importance in the ecosystem. Flora and Fauna, both are significant for human existence as these are responsible for the regulation of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the air. Also, they benefit us with a variety of food, water, and medicines. Know what is flora and fauna description in detail.
What is Flora?
The population of plant life, the natural vegetation including fungi, algae, and indigenous plants in a particular geographical region or time is called flora.Known as the “Goddess of the Flower”, flora represents the whole plant kingdom.
It can be classified into different categories according to various factors. Some plants growing in deserts, some growing in water, and some found in hilly regions, etc. make up the flora. Plants growing in a specific area will also have adaptations; for example, Cactus, a desert plant, is found in deserts with adaptations such as modified leaves and prickles for the preservation of water and protection against predators. Flowers also fall into the category of Flora, men cultivate agricultural and ornamental flowers and the practice is known as Horticulture. A specific flora meaning lies deep in its Scientific name as it also includes literature references, habitats, geographical distribution, flowering times, illustrations, and many more.
What is Fauna?
The population of animal life in a particular region or time represents the Fauna. ‘Goddess of fertility’ is the name given for Fauna and it consists of a wide variety of animal lives. The classification of the animal kingdom is widely available falling under categories that include birds, fish, microorganisms, and cryptofauna i.e. undiscovered animals. Avifauna is a term referring to the birds whereas Piscifauna is a term referring to the fish. Microfauna is a term given for microscopic organisms including domains like Archaea and bacteria.
Fauna meaning is simply referring to all kinds of animals living in a particular habitat. Birds from pheasants to a vulture, mammals from mouse to bison, worms to reptiles, insects, soil and water fauna, etc. all inter-related species fall under the category of fauna.
Significance of Flora and Fauna in the Ecosystem
Ecological Balance
Flora and fauna hugely contribute towards human existence as they play a role in the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Plants are responsible for producing Oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide, and most of the fauna do the vice versa. Oxygen and carbon dioxide are important components of the respiratory system for humans.
Medicinal Importance
In addition, flora and fauna are medicinally important for us as a wide range of medicines and herbs can be extracted from them. All animals of a particular region or habitat make up the Fauna population that majorly contribute to producing medications and drugs to treat human ailments. Similarly, drugs and herbs can be produced from plants existing in nature that help in human well-being.
Aesthetic Importance
Due to the preservation of flora and fauna, the overall beauty of nature is maintained and is beneficial for ecology. A variety of biosphere reserves, zoos, botanical gardens, national parks, forests, etc. are a large collection of flora and fauna. It’s an excellent tourist attraction as well as the rare species enhance the aesthetic value and provide opportunities for recreation.
Boosts Local Economy
As discussed earlier, flora and fauna lead to enhanced tourism, be it attracting tourists and scientists at Amazon forests or at sanctuaries, which further leads to regulating and increasing the economical value. Widespread flora and fauna have a huge importance in expanding local economies.
Indian Flora and Fauna
India has a rich flora and fauna estimated over 81,000 species of fauna and 47.000 species of flora. Flora and fauna of India include multitudinous varieties of plants and animals. Indian fauna comprises 500 varieties of mammals, 30K different insects, and various species of amphibians, reptiles, and fish. Examples of Indian fauna include large animals like Elephants, Bengal Tiger, Lions, Bison, and Rhinoceros. Indian fauna examples include temperate forests, Oak, Alpines, Pines, Rhododendron, Deodar, Maples, Bamboos, etc.
FAQs on Flora and Fauna
1. How do we Describe the Flora and Fauna Meaning?
Flora is briefly described as a plant population (including flowers cultivation) of a particular region or time and fauna is the animal kingdom including the microbes and cryptofauna (undiscovered animals). Flora and fauna are interdependent on each other as many animals depend on plants for their sustenance. The ecosystem is balanced due to their dependence on each other for growth.
2. What are the Benefits of Flora and Fauna to the Economy?
Tourism can highly be enhanced with rich flora and fauna maintained in biological parks, botanical gardens, national parks, forests, sanctuaries, and more. Some of the popular examples that have contributed hugely to the inflow of money are forests of Amazon, Indonesia, the Caribbean, and Panama. Enthusiasts, scientists, explorers, aspirants, naturalists, zoologists, and botanists from all over the world gather at the spots of fauna and flora collections.
3. How are Flora and Fauna Dependent on Each Other?
A large section of fauna, i.e. animal kingdom depends upon flora for their day to day food requirement. And on the other side, fauna is responsible for performing pollination of plants that enhance the population and growth of flora. Therefore, it is agreeable that fauna and flora, both are interdependent on each other. This is also responsible for maintaining ecological balance.
4. Who is a Botanist?
Botanist is a Scientist or a person who studies plants and observes or investigates the diversity of flora in a different environment. He or she is very keen on knowing the characteristic of every floral or plant species and analyzing for further studies and outcomes. Botanists focus on the wondrous beauty of the plants and their significance.
5. Who is a Zoologist?
A Zoologist is a Scientist or a person who studies animal and animal life, including fauna and its diversity in varied environments. They observe how animals and wildlife interact with ecosystems. They study the animal behaviours, physical characteristics, food, natural habitats, and the impacts humans have over them.
