Grazers & Mutualists

Question 1

How may a plant avoid grazing?

Answer 1

• Physical defences - thorns, spines

* Chemical defences - taste, digestibility, toxicity.

Question 2

How may a plant tolerate grazing?

Answer 2

• Protection of meristems
• Alteration of relative rates of growth - shoot growth vs root growth
• Utilisation of stored carbohydrate
• Stimulation of dormant buds.

Question 3

Define mutualism.

Answer 3

An association between a pair of species which benefits both.

Question 4

Define grazers.

Answer 4

Attack large numbers of prey but remove only part of each prey individual e.g. Insect larvae.

Question 5

What do the effects of grazing depend on?

Answer 5

• What is eaten
• When it is eaten
• The nature of the plant response (avoidance/tolerance).