Question

The species diversity of plants $\left(22\%\right)$ is much less that that of animals $\left(72\%\right)$. What could be the explanations to how animals achieved greater diversification?

Answer 1

Animals have achieved greater diversification than plants due to reasons :
(i) They have nervous system to receive stimuli and respond against them Most of their responses are adaptive for their survival in changing environment.
(ii) They are mobile and to avoid competition. They show niche specialization.
(iii) They are subjected to less seasonal and more constant environment. Plants are fixed and require fewer evolutionary adaptations in order to obtain their requirement of water, minerals and sunlight or avoid destruction due to excessive herbivory. All this has resulted in higher species diversity among animals than plants.