Herbivore

A herbivore is an animal that feeds mainly on plants or algae. Herbivores obtain energy and nutrients from producers and are consumers in food webs.

Cellulose: A structural carbohydrate that forms much of the plant cell wall and resists digestion by many animals. Its tough fibers make plant tissue hard to break down.
Trophic level: A position in a food chain or web defined by how an organism obtains energy. Herbivores occupy the consumer level that feeds directly on producers.
Overgrazing: Plant removal by grazing animals at a rate that prevents adequate vegetation recovery. Excessive herbivore feeding can degrade vegetation and soil.
African elephant: A large African mammal that feeds on grasses, leaves, bark, and other plant material. Its browsing and tree damage can reshape savanna and woodland habitats.
Ruminant: A mammal that regurgitates and rechews food while fermenting it in a specialized stomach. Ruminants digest fibrous plants through microbial fermentation and repeated chewing.
Primary consumer: An organism that obtains energy by eating producers such as plants or algae. Herbivores are primary consumers in food webs.
Trophic cascade: An ecological chain reaction in which changes at one trophic level affect multiple levels below it. Changes in herbivore abundance can alter plant communities and affect predators.
Giant panda: A bear native to China that feeds primarily on bamboo despite retaining a carnivore-like digestive system. It illustrates how a highly specialized plant diet can evolve without a specialized gut.
Hindgut fermentation: Microbial digestion of fibrous food in the enlarged cecum or colon behind an animal's stomach. Many herbivores extract nutrients from plants through fermentation in the hindgut.
Autotroph: An organism that produces organic compounds from inorganic sources using light or chemical energy. Plants and algae are the producers that herbivores consume.

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