NATURE AND

IMPORTANCE OF PLANTS,
ANIMALS & BIRDS
ANIMALS
 NATURE OF RED PANDA

RED PANDAS ARE VERY SKILFUL AND ACROBATIC

ANIMALS THAT PREDOMINANTLY STAY IN TREES.
ALMOST 50% OF THE RED PANDAS HABITAT IS IN
THE EASTERN HIMALAYAS. THEY USE THERE
LONG, BUSHY TAILS FOR BALANCE AND TO
COVER THEMSELVES IN WINTER, PRESUMABLY
FOR WARMTH.
 IMPORTANCE OF RED PANDA
• CONSERVATION BIOLOGISTS USE RED
PANDAS PRESENCE AS AN INDICATOR OF
THE OVERALL HEALTH OF THE
ECOREGION. AS THE UMBRELLA SPECIES,
PROTECTING THEIR HABITATS ALSO
PROTECTS OTHER THREATENED ANIMALS
LIKE HIMALAYAN BLACK BEARS, CLOUDED
LEOPARDS, AND MANY BIRD SPECIES. 3.
THEY HELP BALANCE THE ECOSYSTEM.
 NATURE OF NILGAI

• THE NILGAI HAS SLENDER LEGS AND A

STOCKY BODY, WHICH SLOPES
DOWNWARDS TOWARDS THE REAR. THE
HEAD IS LONG AND SLENDER. MALE:
MALES HAVE 20 TO 25 CM (8 TO 10 IN.)
LONG HORNS WHICH ARE STRAIGHT AND
TILTED SLIGHTLY FORWARDS.
 IMPORTANCE OF NILGAI

• FOR CENTURIES INDIAN VILLAGERS HAVE

ASSOCIATED THE NILGAI WITH THE COW, A
SACRED ANIMAL REVERED BY HINDUS, AND THE
NAME (“GAI” MEANS “COW” IN HINDI)
INDICATES THE SIMILARITY THEY SAW WITH THE
COW. THE NILGAI IS RARELY CONSUMED BY
HINDUS DUE TO ITS RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE.
 NATURE OF GAUR
THE GAUR ALSO CALLED INDIAN BISON, THE TALLEST SPECIES OF
WILD CATTLE. THE GAUR IS A MASSIVE AND STRONG MAMMAL,
WITH ITS CURVED HORNS, GLOSSY DARK BROWN SKIN AND WHITE
OR TAN LOWER LEGS. GAUR ARE STRONG AND MIGHTILY BUILT,
WITH A HIGH GREY RIDGE ON THEIR FOREHEAD BETWEEN THEIR
HORNS, WHICH CURVE UPWARDS FROM THE SIDES OF THE HEAD.
HAVING A WIDE RANGE OF HABITAT, GAUR CAN BE FOUND IN
TROPICAL TO SEMI-WET EVERGREEN FOREST, BAMBOO FOREST AND
TROPICAL MOIST TO DRY DECIDUOUS FOREST.
THEY ARE MOST ACTIVE AT NIGHT, AND ARE RARELY SEEN IN THE
OPEN AFTER 8 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING. DURING THE DRY
SEASON, HERDS CONGREGATE AND REMAIN IN SMALL AREAS,
DISPERSING INTO THE HILLS WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE MONSOON.
WHILE GAUR DEPEND ON WATER FOR DRINKING, THEY DO NOT
SEEM TO BATHE OR WALLOW.
GAUR HERDS ARE LED BY AN OLD ADULT FEMALE, THE MATRIARCH.
 IMPORTANCE OF GAUR

AS ECOSYSTEM LANDSCAPERS, GAUR PLAY AN IMPORTANT

ROLE IN THE MOIST AND DRY DECIDUOUS FORESTS IN INDIA,
AS THEY HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON THE PHYSICAL
STRUCTURE OF HABITATS, RATES OF ECOSYSTEM PROCESSES
AND THE DIVERSITY OF COMMUNITIES. SINCE TIGER
RESERVES HAVE CONSIDERABLE POPULATION OF TIGERS, IT
WAS IMPORTANT TO HAVE GAUR IN THE PARK AS A PREY
SPECIES OF TIGER.
BIRDS
 NATURE OF TAILOR BIRD
THE TAILORBIRD IS FOUND ACROSS TROPICAL ASIA. POPULAR
FOR ITS NEST MADE OF LEAVES “SEWN” TOGETHER . IT IS A
COMMON RESIDENT IN URBAN GARDENS. ALTHOUGH SHY
BIRDS THAT ARE USUALLY HIDDEN WITHIN VEGETATION, THEIR
LOUD CALLS ARE FAMILIAR AND GIVE AWAY THEIR PRESENCE.
THEY ARE DISTINCTIVE IN HAVING A LONG UPRIGHT TAIL,
GREENISH UPPER BODY PLUMAGE AND RUST COLOURED
FOREHEAD AND CROWN. THIS PASSERINE BIRD IS TYPICALLY
FOUND IN OPEN FARMLAND, SCRUB, FOREST EDGES AND
GARDENS. TAILORBIRDS GET THEIR NAME FROM THE WAY THEIR
NEST IS CONSTRUCTED. THE EDGES OF A LARGE LEAF ARE
PIERCED AND SEWN TOGETHER WITH PLANT FIBRE OR SPIDER
SILK TO MAKE A CRADLE IN WHICH THE ACTUAL NEST IS BUILT.
 IMPORTANCE OF TAILOR BIRD

PERCHING BIRDS INCLUDING THE TAILORBIRD ARE A MAJOR

COMPONENT OF THE WORLD’S ECOSYSTEMS. THEY CONSUME
GREAT QUANTITIES AND VARIETIES OF FOOD—GRAINS, FRUITS,
INSECTS AND OTHER INVERTEBRATES, SMALL AMPHIBIANS AND
REPTILES, AND EVEN SMALL MAMMALS—AND IN TURN SERVE AS
FOOD FOR OTHER ANIMALS; THEY ACT AS HOSTS FOR
PARASITES AND ARE OCCASIONALLY PARASITIC THEMSELVES;
THEY BOTH PROPAGATE AND DISTRIBUTE PLANTS BY
POLLINATING FLOWERS AND CARRYING VIABLE SEEDS TO NEW
LOCATIONS
 NATURE OF INDIAN ROBIN

• IT IS A SPRIGHTLY BLACK BIRD WITH WHITE

PATCH ON THE WING AND RUSTY RED UNDER
ROOT OF COCKED TAIL. ITS HEN IS ASHY
BROWN WITHOUT THE WING-PATCH. IT CAN BE
SEEN IN PAIRS IN DRY OPEN LIGHTLY WOODED
COUNTRY. IT FEEDS ON INSECTS AND THEIR
EGGS, SPIDERS ETC.
 IMPORTANCE OF INDIAN ROBIN

• ROBIN IS A HUMAN LOVING BIRD AND IS MOST COMMON GARDEN BIRD. THEY ARE NON-MIGRATORY
AND REMAIND CLOSE TO HUMAN HABITATION. MAINLY THEY ARE INSECTIVOROUS IN NATURE BUT ALSO
ENJOY IN TAKING FOOD GRAINS LIKE COOKED RICE, AND PULSES GIVEN IN BIRD FEEDING POT. ROBINS
DO NOT NORMALLY BROTHER ABOUT BIRDS OF OTHER SPECIES NEAR THEIR NESTS. ROBINS ARE FOUND
RESIDENT AND NON-MIGRATORY BIRD. THE SPECIES IS OFTEN FOUND CLOSE TO HUMAN HABITATION
AND ALWAYS PERCH ON ROOF TOPS, BACKYARD OF HOME, MOVING IN GARDEN. THE STUDY OF THESE
SPECIES IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE, THEY COULD BE GOOD INDICATORS OF THE STATE OF THE
ENVIRONMENT OF OUR SURROUNDINGS.
 NATURE OF WHITE WAGTAIL

THE WHITE WAGTAIL IS MOSTLY AN AQUATIC BIRD, BUT THIS SPECIES CAN BE
COMMON IN VARIOUS TYPES OF HABITATS.
IT IS SLENDER BIRD. IT LENGTHS 16.5 TO 19 CM. ITS AVERAGE WEIGHT IS 25 G
AND THE MAXIMUM LIFESPAN IS ABOUT 12 YEARS. IT FEEDS MOSTLY ON
NUMEROUS SMALL AQUATIC AND TERRESTRIAL INVERTEBRATES. THE
UPPERWING SHOWS GREYISH, BLACK AND WHITE PATTERN.
THE LONG TAIL SHOWS BLACK CENTRAL PAIR OF RECTRICES FINELY EDGED
WHITE. THE OUTER TWO PAIRS ARE WHITE. THE TAIL IS SIMILAR IN LENGTH TO
THE WINGS. IT CATCHES INSECTS ON THE GROUND AFTER A SHORT PURSUIT,
BUT ALSO ON THE WING. ON THE GROUND, THIS BIRD HUNTS BY WALKING
AND EXPLOITING ALL TYPES OF SURFACES, FROM ROADS TO ROOFS AND
OTHER OPEN AREAS.
 IMPORTANCE OF WAGTAIL

THE WHITE WAGTAIL BREEDS IN MOST PARTS OF EUROPE AND

ASIA, AND SOME REGIONS OF NORTH AFRICA. THE WHITE
WAGTAIL FEEDS ON NUMEROUS SMALL AQUATIC AND TERRESTRIAL
INVERTEBRATES
IT HAS BEEN FEATURED ON STAMPS OF VARIOUS NATIONS,
INCLUDING THE UNITED KINGDOM, IRAN, IRELAND, LATVIA,
NORWAY, HONG KONG, GEORGIA, BELARUS, AND POLAND. IT IS
ALSO THE NATIONAL BIRD OF THE COUNTRY LATVIA. ITS NAME HAS
BEEN USED IN THE CULTURAL OR FOLK SONGS OF THIS COUNTRY
PLANTS
 NATURE OF ARECA PALM

THE ARECA PALM IS A MEDIUM SIZED PALM TREE, WHICH CAN

GROW UP TO 20M IN HEIGHT. THE TRUNK IS SMALL VARYING
FROM 10CM TILL 15 CM IN DIAMETER. ITS LEAVES CAN
GROW TILL 2 M LONG AND THIS PALM LOOKS A LOT LIKE A
BAMBOO PLANT. IT IS A TROPICAL PLANT THAT PREFERS TO
GROW IN THE LOCATIONS WITH A WARM CLIMATE. IT IS
ORIGINATED FROM MADAGASCAR BUT LATER DEVELOPED IN
SOUTH INDIA AND SOME OTHER COUNTRIES IN DIFFERENT
CONTINENTS.
 IMPORTANCE OF ARECA PALM

IN A YEAR THE ARECA PALM SHEDS ITS LEAVES 5 A 6 TIMES.

THE LEAF SHEATHS ARE USED FOR MAKING CAPS, BOWLS,
VESSELS FOR PALM WINE, ARTIFACTS AND PLY-BOARDS. THESE
PLY-BOARDS CAN THEN BE USED TO MAKE SUITCASES, FILE
BOARDS ETC.,
THE STEMS ARE USED AS BUILDING MATERIALS IN DIFFERENT
VILLAGES AND ALSO USED FOR VARIETY OF CONSTRUCTION
PURPOSES AROUND THE GROWING AREA. THE LEAVES CAN
BE USED TO MAKE GOOD ORGANIC MANURE.
 NATURE OF BOUGAINVILLEA

• BOUGAINVILLEA SPECTABILIS GROWS AS A WOODY VINE OR

SHRUB, REACHING 15 TO 40 FEET (4.6 TO 12.2 M) WITH
HEART-SHAPED LEAVES AND THORNY, PUBESCENT STEMS. THE
FLOWERS ARE GENERALLY SMALL, WHITE, AND
INCONSPICUOUS, HIGHLIGHTED BY SEVERAL BRIGHTLY
COLORED MODIFIED LEAVES CALLED BRACTS.
 IMPORTANCE OF BOUGAINVILLEA

• THE AQUEOUS EXTRACT AND DECOCTION OF THIS PLANT

HAVE BEEN USED AS FERTILITY CONTROL AMONG THE
TRIBAL PEOPLE IN MANY COUNTRIES. FURTHERMORE, IT HAS
BEEN SHOWN TO POSSESS ANTICANCER, ANTIDIABETIC,
ANTIHEPATOTOXIC, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY,
ANTIHYPERLIPIDEMIC, ANTIMICROBIAL, ANTIOXIDANT, AND
ANTIULCER PROPERTIES.
 NATURE OF AGLAONEMA

• AGLAONEMA IS A GENUS OF FLOWERING PLANTS IN THE

ARUM FAMILY, ARACEAE. THEY ARE NATIVE TO TROPICAL AND
SUBTROPICAL REGIONS OF ASIA AND NEW GUINEA. THEY
ARE KNOWN COMMONLY AS CHINESE EVERGREENS.
 IMPORTANCE OF AGLAONEMA

• THE AGLAONEMA; CHINESE EVERGREEN HELPS TO IMPROVE

THE AIR QUALITY OF YOUR INDOOR SPACES WITH THE
ABILITY TO FILTER INDOOR AIR POLLUTANTS AND TOXINS.
FURTHERMORE, THIS GORGEOUS LEAFY INDOOR PLANT
EMITS OXYGEN, WHICH ASSISTS IN INCREASING
PRODUCTIVITY AND ENRICHING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
BOTH IN LIVING AND WORKING SPACES
THANK YOU

• AARTH MARY
• APARNA
• ANGEL
• ASHIMA SUSAN
• ASHISH DANIEL
• BRITTO BENEDICT
• SANTHOSH KUMAR.R
• SRIRAM.V