Foraging Ecology of Mammalian Herbivores

Foraging ecology of mammalian herbivores examines how anatomy, physiology and behaviour interact to determine diet selection, intake rates and habitat use. Central to this field is the recognition that herbivores must negotiate a complex nutritional landscape in which energy, protein, fibre and a suite of plant secondary metabolites vary across species, seasons and spatial scales. Adaptive foraging strategies reflect trade-offs between nutrient acquisition, predation risk and digestive constraints, and influence population dynamics, community structure and ecosystem processes. Large ungulates such as deer and moose often employ nutrient balancing by combining forage items to achieve target macronutrient ratios, whereas smaller species may exhibit fine-scale patch selection driven by concealment or proximity to refuges. Plant chemical defences shape browsing patterns, and herbivores in turn may develop behavioural or physiological adaptations to tolerate or detoxify secondary compounds. Recent advances in remote sensing and molecular analysis have refined our understanding of forage distribution and realised diets, while theoretical frameworks such as the Geometric Framework for nutrition provide quantitative means to predict feeding decisions. Insights from foraging ecology underpin sustainable rangeland management, conservation of threatened species and mitigation of human–wildlife conflicts through targeted habitat manipulation or strategic supplementary feeding.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have demonstrated that herbivores rely on olfactory cues not only to locate preferred plants but also to avoid undesirable neighbours. By synthesising the odour profiles of unpalatable species, researchers have shown that virtual neighbours can provide an associational refuge, reducing browsing pressure on valuable seedlings to levels comparable with those conferred by living plants. This approach highlights a novel, non-invasive method for protecting high-value flora from overbrowsing and offers a practical tool for ecological restoration and forestry management.

Foraging Ecology of Mammalian Herbivores publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in foraging ecology of mammalian herbivores across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Associational refuge: A phenomenon whereby the presence of unpalatable plants reduces herbivore damage to neighbouring palatable species.

Nutrient balancing hypothesis: The principle that animals select foods to achieve a specific ratio of macronutrients in their diet.

Plant secondary metabolites: Chemical compounds produced by plants, such as tannins and alkaloids, which can deter or poison herbivores.

Non-structural carbohydrates (NCs): Sugars and starches in plant tissues that provide readily available energy to consumers.

DNA metabarcoding: A molecular method that identifies dietary components by sequencing genetic markers from faecal or rumen samples.

References

1. Olfactory misinformation provides refuge to palatable plants from mammalian browsing. Nature Ecology & Evolution (2024).
2. Forage plants in grasslands with different topographies affect yak foraging preferences on the eastern Tibetan plateau. Frontiers in Plant Science (2024).
3. Increased intake of tree forage by moose is associated with intake of crops rich in nonstructural carbohydrates. Ecology (2024).
4. Selection of food patches by sympatric herbivores in response to concealment and distance from a refuge. Ecology and Evolution (2016).
5. The Nutritional Balancing Act of a Large Herbivore: An Experiment with Captive Moose (Alces alces L). PLOS ONE (2016).
6. Interactions between ungulates, forests, and supplementary feeding: the role of nutritional balancing in determining outcomes. Mammal Research (2016).