Herbivore

"The service is worth more than the snack. Acacia trees house aggressive ants in hollow thorns, feeding them nectar; the ants attack any herbivore that tries to eat the tree's leaves. These aren't accidents. These are evolved exchange systems - relationships refined over millions of years to de..."

"...arbon. Notice the pattern: ~90% of energy is lost at each trophic level. When herbivores eat plants, only ~10% of the plant's energy converts to herbivore biomass - the rest is lost to metabolism, heat, and waste. The same 90% loss occurs at each subsequent level. This explains: - **Why food chains ra..."

"Even if browsed repeatedly, they regrow fast enough to survive. High-risk strategy - requires abundant resources. The optimal defense depends on herbivore pressure and resource availability. High herbivory + low resources = chemical defense. High herbivory + high resources = rapid growth."

"...Examples: Tulips (bulbs), lilies (bulbs), bamboo (rhizomes), potatoes (tubers), ferns (rhizomes) - Limitation: Requires storage organ intact. Herbivores (gophers, pigs) that eat bulbs/rhizomes can prevent regeneration. The key variable: What survived the damage? Intact root system enables fast re..."

"... attack, attracting predatory mites that eat spider mites - The plant "calls" the enemy of its enemy. The VOCs are chemically distinct based on which herbivore is attacking - the plant sends specific recruitment signals for specific threats 3. Neighbor warning (alert nearby plants): - Sagebrush releases..."