Introduction

From afar, rainforests look green, mysterious, quiet and

peaceful. However, this is afar from the truth. They are actually
made up of rich wildlife full of activity. Our rainforest boast of
millions of species of flora and fauna which are unique and not
found anywhere else in world.

Objective

By the end of this chapter, we should be able to

• Understand the variety of living organisms and their
classification.
 What is
Biodiversity?

If we look closely, we will find many living

things around us. We call these living things
organisms. There are many different kinds of
organinsms on earth. Scientist estimate that
there are about 10 to 100 million kinds if
organisms living on earth. Of these, only less
than 2 million kinds have been identified. The
rest are yet to be discovered.
The wide variety of organisms on earth is
known as biodiversity or biological diversity.
You can see this diversity everywhere like local
parks, forests, mountaintops and even deep
down in oceans.
 What is
Classification?

Due to the variety of organisms on earth,

scientists have found it useful to sort these
organisms into groups. Sorting organisms
into groups is called classification.
 What is the importance of
biodiversity to the environment?

The importance of biological diversity to human society is hard

to overstate. An estimated 40 per cent of the global economy is
based on biological products and processes. Poor people,
especially those living in areas of low agricultural productivity,
depend especially heavily on the genetic diversity of the
environment. The effective use of biodiversity at all levels -
genes, species and ecosystems - is therefore a precondition for
sustainable development. However, human activities the world
over are causing the progressive loss of species of plants and
animals at a rate far higher than the natural background rate of
extinction.

Why do we need to classify

animals and plants? Explain
with examples.
Due to the variety of organisms on earth, scientists have found it useful to
sort these organisms into groups. Sorting organisms into groups is called
classification. As new organisms are discovered, new charateristics are
used in classifying these oganisms. As a result, over the years, the
classification system has also gone through some changes.
In the classification system used today, organisms are classified into five
major groups called kingdoms. They are animals, plants, fungi(moulds),
bacteria and very simple organisms.

Animal Classification
Animal A
 Amphibians

Amphibians are cold blooded animals that can live both on land and in water.
Most amphibians adults live on land. They return to the water only to lay
eggs. The eggs are fertilized outside the female’s body (external
fertilization). The young amphibians live in water and breathe through their
gills. The adults breathe with their lungs when on land and through their skir
when in water. The adults have loose and moist skin.

Animal B
 Fish

Fish have bodies that are well adapted for life under water. Their skin is
covered with hard and slimy scales for protection. They have fins and tails
to swim. They absorb dissolved oxygen in the water through their gills. Most
of them lay eggs that are fertilized outside their bodies. Fish are cold-
blooded animals. This means that their body temperature changes with their
surrounding temperature.

Animal C
 Birds

Birds are the only animals with feathers. They have beaks and wings but not
all of them can fly. They breath with their lungs. They are warm blooded
animals. This means that their body temperature remains constant and does
not change with the environment. Their eggs, which are fertilized internally
(internal fertilization), have hard shells and are laid in their nests.

Animal D
 Mammals

Mammals are warm-blooded animals whose bodies are covered with hair or
fur. Their eggs are fertilized internally and their young develop inside the
female body. All mammals, except the duck-billed platypus and the spiny
anteater, give birth to live young. Their young feed on milk from the
mother’s mammary glands. Mammals breathe with their lungs. This includes
thooose living in the water such as dolphins and whales.

Animal E
 Reptiles

Many reptiles live on land. All reptiles have hard dry scales to protect their
bodies. They breathe with their lungs and are cold-blooded animals. Reptile
eggs are fertilized inside the female body. The eggs have tough, leathery
shells to prevent them from drying out.

Diversity in the general characteristics

of living organisms.
  Animal D has fur while Animal C does not.
 Animal C has beak while Animal B does not.
 Animal B has fins while Animal A does not.
 Animal D has hard dry scales why Animal D does not.

Two other ways that I have choosen to classify the 5 animals

are:-

i) Reproductive methods

Animal
A,B,C,D,E

Internal Fertilisation External Fertilisation

Reptiles, Fish,
Mammals
Amphibians, Birds

ii) Body temperature

 Animal
A,B,C,D,E

Warm- Blooded Cold- Blooded

Reptiles, Fish,
Mammals, Birds
Amphibians

Vertebrates and Invertebrates

Scientist have so far identified more than 1 million animals.

Animals are divided into two main groups, those with backbones
and those without. Animals with backbones are called vertebrates.
Animals without backbones are called invertebrates
Classification of plants
Plants are divide into two main groups:-
i) Flowering plants
ii) Non-Flowering plants

Flowering Plants

• Flowering plants are plants that produce flowers.

• Flowering plants breed after pollination and
fertilization during which seeds are formed.
• Flowering plants are into divided into
monocotyledons and dicotyledons.
• Cotyledon is the seed leaf that contains food
substances in the form of starch used by the
seedling during germination.

Monocotyledon Difference Dicotyledon

One Number of Two
cotyledons in seed
Parallel veins Veins of leaf Network veins
Soft stem Type of stem Hard stem
Fibrous root Root system Tap root
Paddy, maize, grass Examples Mango tree, balsam

Differences between a monocotyledon and a dicotyledon

Non-Flowering Plants
  Non-Flowering plants peproduce by spores .
 Non-Flowering plants are divided into four groups:

Algae

Sea Alga Chlamidomonas

o They live in water and humid soil.

o They do not have stems, leaves or roots.
o They have chlorophyll.
o They are unicellular algae (e,g, pleurococus ad
chlamidomonas) and multicellular algae (e.g.
spirogyra and sea weed)

Fungi
 Mushroom Yeast

 They live in damp ares.

 They do not have leaves, stems, or roots.
 They do not have chlorophyll.
 They live as parasites or saprophytes.
 There are unicellular fungi (e,g, yeast) and
multicellular fungi (e.g. mushroom)

Mosses
 Moss

• They live in damp areas.

• They have leaves and stems but no root
systems.
• They have chlorophyll.
Ferns

•
• Ferns

 They live in damp and shady places.

 They have stem and leaf systems.
 They have chlorophyll.
 They reproduce by spores.
 Classification of living things

Living Things

Plants Animals

Non-
Flowerng Vertebrates Invertebrates
Flowering

Monocotyledons Dicotyledons Ferns Algae Mammals Amphibians

FUngi Mosses Mammals Birds

Fish
 Malaysia is one of the twelve mega-biodiversity countries in
the world.

Malaysia in one of the twelve mega biodiversity countries

in the world. This means that our country is very rich in plant
and animal species. In fact, many of the plants and animals
found here are not found anywhere else in the world.
 Taman Kinabalu has been declared one of the worlds natural
heritage sites.

Kinabalu National Park or Taman Negara Kinabalu in Malay

(754 km2), in the State of Sabah on the northern end of the
island of Borneo, is dominated by Mount Kinabalu (4,095 m),
the highest mountain between the Himalayas and glaciated
peaks in New Guinea. Designated in 1964 as one of Malaysia’s
first national parks, owing to its high biotic diversity and
endemism, Kinabalu was chosen as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site under criteria IX and X in December 2000 for its
"outstanding universal values". Inscription on this list
confirms the exceptional universal value of a natural or
cultural site which deserves protection for the benefit of all
humanity.

The altitudinal and climatic gradient from tropical forest to

alpine conditions combine with precipitous topography, diverse
geology and frequent climate oscillations to provide conditions
ideal for the development of new species. This world heritage
site is blessed with astonishing variety of flora and fauna that
ranges over four climate zones; from rich lowland dipterocarp
forest through the montane oak, rhododendron, to the
coniferous forests, to the alpine meadow plants, and to the
stunted bushes of summit zone. The Park contains
representatives from more than half the families of all
flowering plants and is famous for its many carnivorous plant
and orchid species. It has been designated as a Centre of Plant
Diversity for Southeast Asia and is exceptionally rich in species
with examples of flora from the Himalayas, China, Australia,
Malaysia, as well as pan-tropical flora. The majority of
Borneo’s mammals, birds, amphibians and invertebrates
(many threatened and vulnerable) occur in the park. Its is also
home to a multitude of endemic animal species.
•