What is defence against herbivory?
Q: What is defence against herbivory?
A: Defence against herbivory is a set of adaptations used by plants to reduce the effect of being eaten by herbivores.
Q: How do plants defend themselves from herbivores?
A: Plants can use a variety of strategies to defend themselves from herbivores, such as producing chemicals that act as repellents or toxins, storing heavy metals which are toxic to animals, encouraging the presence of natural enemies of herbivores, providing homes for ants which defend the plant strongly, and escaping or avoiding herbivore in time or place.
Q: Are these defences always present in the plant?
A: No, these defences can be either constitutive (always present in the plant) or induced (produced in reaction to damage or stress caused by herbivores).
Q: What type of animal is typically associated with plant defences?
A: Historically, insects have been most significant when it comes to plant defences. The evolution of land plants is closely associated with the evolution of insects.
Q: Are there any defences aimed at vertebrate herbivores?
A: Yes, some defensive strategies have evolved that are aimed at vertebrate herbivores such as birds and mammals.
Q: Why is studying plant defences important?
A: Studying plant defences against herbivory is important not only from an evolutionary viewpoint but also because these defences can be used in agriculture for human and livestock food sources.
