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Glite Dictionary
herbivory

herbivory

1 7.0
Eating plants by animals, often causing damage to the plants
  • noun
  • /hɜːrˈbɪvəri/
  • Specialized
translation icon : herbivoría
  • If this belowground herbivory reduces dominance by strongly competitive species, it could increase plant diversity.
  • aboveground herbivory
  • herbivory by insects
  • plant defenses to herbivory

Examples

  • The carbon stored in plants can follow multiple subsequent pathways, such as herbivory, harvest, and decomposition, among others.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Thus, the Cladophora experiences high herbivory, and without a standing crop of algae, the system may support only two trophic levels: algae and grazers.

    Academic text (2000)

  • Repeated surveys of numerous individual leaves would yield rates of appearance, herbivory, and mortality.

    Academic text (1992)

  • So all of the adaptations to avoid predation and herbivory will once again disappear?

    Blog text (14)

  • For example, belowground herbivory can equal or exceed aboveground herbivory in effects on plant production.

    Academic text (2000)

  • Herbivory also appears to influence the timing of anthesis in some seagrass species.

    Academic text (2012)

  • Conversely, where species richness is increased by herbivory, grazing could be described as well-managed.

    Academic text (1998)

  • Lowered diversity and abundance of habitat types, resulting from the attendant herbivory, can also result in loss of animal species diversity (McShea et al. 1997).

    Academic text (2003)

  • The presence of large herbivory in the ecosystem can significantly impact plant growth and diversity.

  • Herbivory affects the overall health of the forest by limiting the growth of certain plant species.

Synonyms

grazing
vsherbivory
26 2.4

Animals eating grass in a field or pasture

is the general process of animals feeding on plants, not limited to grass
browsing
vsherbivory
  • Specialized
1 3.2

Feeding on leaves and small twigs by nibbling

is the broader process of animals feeding on plants rather than just nibbling parts

How Intense

defoliation
  • Specialized
1 7.0
overgrazing
  • Specialized
1 4.4
herbivory
  • Specialized
1 7.0
grazing
26 2.4

Surface Forms

herbivory singular
herbivories plural

Morphology

herbivory = herbivore (transparent) = herb + vory + y

The noun names the activity of plant-eating and is directly derived from 'herbivore' (plant-eating animal) with the nominalizing suffix '-y'.

Etymology

Herbivory comes from two Latin parts: herb- from 'herba' meaning 'plant' or 'grass', seen in the English word herb, and -vory from vorare meaning 'to eat', as in carnivore, an animal that eats meat. So herbivory is the act of animals eating plants.