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Extensive grazing and browsing by domestic and wild herbivores shape the vegetation composition, structure and dynamics of many terrestrial ecosystems.
This volume includes dozens of illustrations and investigates how large herbivores influence the structure and distribution of the vegetation. It also explores how these herbivores affect nutrient flows and the responses of associated fauna.
The mechanisms and processes underlying the herbivores' behavior, distribution, movement and direct impact on the vegetation, and the dynamics of nutrients, plant species, and vegetation composition in terrestrial ecosystems are discussed in detail. It is shown that an understanding of plant/animal interactions can inform the management of large herbivores to integrate production and conservation in terrestrial systems, particularly in the face of environmental and climate change.
1 Grazers and Browsers in a Changing World: Introduction Herbert H.T. Prins and Iain J. Gordon 2 An Evolutionary History of Browsing and Grazing Ungulates Christine Janis 3 The Morphophysiological Adaptations of Browsing and Grazing Mammals Marcus Clauss, Thomas Kaiser, and Jurgen Hummel 4 Nutritional Ecology of Grazing and Browsing Ruminants Alan J. Duncan and Dennis P. Poppi 5 The Comparative Feeding Bahaviour of Browsing and Grazing Large Herbivores Kate Searle and?? 6 The Comparative Population Dynamics of Browsing and Grazing Ungulates Norman Owen-Smith 7 Species Diversity of Browsing and Grazing Ungulates: Consequences for the Structure and Abundance of Secondary Production Herbert H.T. Prins and Herve Fritz 8 Impacts of Grazing and Browsing by Large Herbivores on Soils and Soil Biological Properties Kathryn A. Harrison and Richard D. Bardgett 9 Plant Traits, Browsing and Grazing Herbivores, and Vegetation Dynamics C. Skarpe and A.J. Hester 10 The Impact of Browsing and Grazing Herbivores on Biodiversity S. E. van Wieren and J.P. Bakker 11 Managing Large Herbivores in Theory and Practice: is the Game the Same for Browsing and grazing Species? Jean-Michel Gaillard, Patrick Duncan, Sip Van Wieren, Anne Loison, Francois Klein, and Daniel Maillard 12 Browsers and Grazers in a Changing World: Conclusions Iain J. Gordon and Herbert H.T. Prins
From the reviews: "A detailed, thoroughly cited account on the ecology of large mammalian browsers and grazers. ! the editors predict what may happen to vegetation systems in light of anthropogenic changes on the landscape, and how browsers and grazers may likely respond to these changes. They stress collaboration between managers and scientists in the decision-making process for managing these large herbivores. Summing Up: Recommended. Researchers and professionals." (E. H. Rave, CHOICE, Vol. 45 (10), June, 2008) "It covers a very wide range of biological issues and amalgamates animal morphology and physiology with herbivore and rangeland ecology in an ! evolutionary view. ! The Ecology of Browsing and Grazing is a many-layered textbook and a good example of a well-executed interdisciplinary approach, imperative to combat the threats of climate change. It can be highly recommended for students, all kinds of ecologists and members of administrative bodies in game parks, conservation areas and livestock production systems." (Anne Zemmrich, Basic and Applied Ecology, Vol. 11, 2010) "Der vorliegende Band befasst sich mit der Okologie wildlebender aber auch domestizierter laub- und grasfressender Herbivoren. Insgesamt 22 der weltweit fuhrenden Experten auf ihren jeweiligen Gebieten zeichnen fur die 12 Kapitel des Bandes verantwortlich. Der Band stellt ein aktuelles und (bis auf kleinere Teilgebiete) umfassendes Referenzwerk zu zahlreichen Fragen der Okologie laub- und grasfressender Herbivoren dar, die nicht nur fur Rezent- sondern in vielen Teilen auch fur Palaokologen von Bedeutung sind." (D. UHL, in: Zentralblatt fur Geologie und Palaontologie Teil II, 2010, issue 1/2, S. 196 f.)
