Herbivores and Herbivory

These flashcards focus on vocabulary related to herbivores and their nutritional strategies, adaptations, and ecological roles, providing definitions to key terms discussed in the lecture.

Herbivores

Animals that obtain energy and nutrients from plants or algae.

Herbivory

The act of eating plants or algae by animals.

Nitrogen content in plants

Herbivorous diets can be low in nitrogen, which is a challenge for herbivores.

Microbial fermentation

The process by which microbes help digest fibrous plant material in herbivores.

Foregut fermenters

Herbivores that have a complex stomach structure allowing for microbial fermentation before digestion.

Hindgut fermenters

Herbivores that have fermentation occurring after digestion, typically in the cecum and colon.

Coprophagy

The practice of consuming feces to extract additional nutrients.

Cecum

A pouch connected to the junction of the small and large intestines, important for fermentation in herbivores.

Ruminants

Herbivorous mammals that regurgitate their food to further chew and digest it.

Frugivores

Herbivores that primarily consume fruits.

Folivores

Herbivores that primarily eat leaves.

Grazers

Herbivores that primarily consume grass.

Browsers

Herbivores that select more energy-dense or digestible parts of plants.

Nectivores

Herbivores that feed on nectar.

Grainivores

Herbivores that primarily eat seeds.

Digestive adaptations

Specialized anatomical features in herbivorous animals to aid in the digestion of plant material.

Plant secondary compounds

Chemical compounds produced by plants that can deter herbivores.

Parrotfish

A type of herbivorous fish known for its specialized feeding adaptations for scraping algae.

Dietary fiber

A crucial component of herbivorous diets that helps maintain digestive health.

Body size and herbivory

The average size of herbivorous fish is intermediate compared to other fish species.

Ecological diversity

Increased variety of species and interactions resulting from herbivory, especially in terrestrial ecosystems.

Herbivore gut anatomy

Structural variations in gastrointestinal tracts that reflect different feeding strategies among herbivores.