Are Plants and Animals interdependent?

How are plants and animals interdependent? Everything living in this universe depends on another living counter part. They basically depend on each other primarily for survival. This includes needs such as :

  • Food
  • Protection
  • Shelter
  • Reproduction

By depending on each other, they end up building several relationships. These relationships are witnessed at various points in the food chains.

“A man doesn’t plant a tree for himself. He plants it for posterity.”
Alexander Smith

So what does animals need from plants:

  1. Habitat for a home and shade from the scorching sun.
  2. Vital raw materials for various activities such as making food.
  3. Food source.
  4. To absorb the carbon dioxide they produce.
  5. To produce oxygen level needed for their survival.

And what does plants need from animals:

  1. Reproduction , that is, carrying of the pollen and cross fertilisation
  2. To help digest the complex substances.
  3. To produce the needed carbon dioxide.

Do other living organisms, humans included, need plants?

Yes, they are living organisms and do need plants in various ways. Including:

  • Humans are a very vital component in the living world, yet the most destructive part too. Good thing is, we are able to control both extremes when we choose to. We can decide to limit our negative impacts and conserve mother nature. Or we can decide to feed our greed and destroy mother nature.
  • Humans are important in both the food chains and food webs. Help to make them complete.
  • Just like other animals, humans needs plants for the same reasons stated above.
  • Humans needs bacteria in plants to ferment their food.
  • Humans needs plant for food.

“He plants trees to benefit another generation.”
Caecilius Statius

Plants and animals are totally interdependent on each other. Hence each part do depend on each other for their survival. Alternatives may have blind us to think that we can replace plants in our lives. But the results always disappoints us.
We replaced plants on our plants with junk that ended up making us obese. So the doctors advised us back to plants for our health solutions. All helping us to appreciate the presence of plants in our lives.

This also implies that we continue planting more trees. Our forest cover should go back where it was before we start deforesting this universe. We can do this by :

  • Planting trees as a memory of our dead loved ones.
  • Planting trees to represent victories or memories or steps in our lives.
  • Introducing trees in our compounds.
  • Investing in man-made forests.

”Folks are like plants; we all lean toward the light.”
Kris Carr
“Use plants to bring life.”
Douglas Wilson

 

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