Herbivory in the marine realm
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Published on: January 11, 2015
Robert S Steneck1, David R Bellwood2, Mark E Hay3
1School of Marine Sciences, University of Maine, Walpole, ME 04469, USA.
Abstract:
Herbivory occurs when animals consume plants; but the term hides two fundamentally different processes. One relates to the animal's nutrition, the other to the plant's survival and abundance. Both are central to the ecological process called herbivory. Evolutionary innovations in herbivore function have shaped shallow marine ecosystems from kelp forests to coral reefs.
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