Question

Write in detail about how the plants and animals found in your surroundings prove useful or harmful.

Answer 1

There are so many kinds of plants and animals that we find in our surroundings. These plants and animals can be useful and harmful to us. The following points support this fact:

1. Useful plants:
   1. Plants like tulsi, mint, Ashwagandha, neem, etc. are called medicinal plants and have various medicinal properties.
   2. There are many plants which provide us with fruits and vegetables like mango, etc.
   3. Certain plants are used for ornamental purposes like money plants, etc.
   4. There are plants from which we obtain rubber, which is used in the manufacture of tires, tubes, raincoats, belts, sports goods, etc.
   5. Flowers like rose, jasmine, lavender, Champa, saffron, etc. are used for extracting sweet-smelling oils called perfumes.
2. Harmful plants:
   1. Partehnium is a type of plant that can cause pollen allergy in humans.
   2. White Cedar is a small neem-like tree with attractive yellow fruits. These are lethal if taken by children and cause vomiting, diarrhea, and difficulty breathing in adults.
   3. Leaves of colocasia and pods of nettle cause itching.
   4. Datura is an example of poisonous plants.
3. Useful animals:
   1. Milk and Flesh-Yielding Animals: These are the animals from which we obtain food products. They include cattle, goats, poultry, pigs, sheep, etc.
   2. Draught Animals: These are the animals used for transportation, ploughing of fields, and other agricultural activities. They are hardy and can lift heavy loads.
   3. Fibre, Hide, and Skin Yielding Animals: These animals yield useful products such as fiber (wool), hide, etc. They include sheep, goats, cattle, camels, etc.

All animals and insects are not useful; some of them can cause a lot of harm to our health and also to our crops. Such animals and insects are known as pests.

• Insects, like grasshoppers, beetles, etc., cause enormous damage to the agricultural crops and thus affect their yield.
• Animals like tigers, lions, etc. can enter human settlements and may kill domestic animals and people.
• Caterpillars or larvae of many insects feed on the leaves on which they live.
• Stored grains are also attacked by rodents like rats and rabbits and by many kinds of moths, caterpillars, and beetles.