Introduction to Flora and Fauna

Grades 6+Science

Jan 21

Written By Meera Bhakta- CuriouSTEM Staff

You might have a kid in your class named Flora. However, chances are, you do not know anyone named Fauna. Outside of your classroom, in the environment, flora and fauna go together. In Latin, the word flora refers to the goddess of the flower, and it comes from the word floral. Flora describes a collection of indigenous plants in a region. On the other hand, in Roman history, the word fauna is connected to the goddess of fertility. Fauna also has a connection to the word fauns, or forest spirits. Put simply, while flora refers to indigenous plants in a region, fauna refers to indigenous animals in any region.

Going deeper, flora describes a group of plants that are typically native (but sometimes new) to a particular region. You could talk about flora like this: “the flora of South Africa is incredibly stunning!” Around the world, flora varies greatly, making it fascinating. Categorizing plants by region through the word flora allows for simplification and deeper comprehension. Most people know that plants in Antarctica will be different from plants in the desert, but flora allows these plants to be specifically categorized, not just called “different”. Unique types of flora pop up everywhere, and fossil flora has even been analyzed to provide insight on flora during prehistoric times. Other branches include “native flora” (the most common type) referring to indigenous plants in a place and “agricultural flora” describing intentionally man-made plants. “Garden flora” is decorative and “weed flora” is invasive.

Fauna has many divisions as animals have evolved on a large scale. Within the animal kingdom (fauna), there is Avifauna to describe birds, Piscifauna to describe fish, and even Microfauna to describe microscopic organisms.

Flora and fauna are important because they help control an ecosystem and aid it in staying balanced. As flora takes in carbon dioxide, it generates oxygen, and fauna releases carbon dioxide while taking in oxygen. They both continue to do so consistently and systematically, promoting respiration and photosynthesis in different organisms. Flora and fauna rely on each other.

Another way people depend on flora and fauna is through their position as food and water sources. An interesting fact is that many forms of herbal and man-made medications originate from the two as well.

Food webs that allow ecosystems to function and maintain homeostasis (equilibrium) are dependent on the relationships between flora and fauna. On top of that, different body parts from dead and decomposed animals allow for nutrient-rich fertilizer and microorganisms to develop. All these different factors represent the importance of flora and fauna in the world.

Another surprising effect of flourishing flora and fauna is the change it can have on the economy. In fact, the Amazon rainforest in Brazil helps to stimulate the economy by approximately $50 million dollars!! Incredible right? Even tourist locations credit their popularity to their immense amounts of beautiful flora and fauna.

All of these incredible facts about flora and fauna explain its grand contribution to society in a variety of different ways! Next time someone asks you what these common but uniquely named parts of the environment are, tell them about everything you learned here!