Plant Herbivore Interactions (000032)

Overview

This course provides in-dept information on the interrelationship between plants, grazing and browsing animals. It discuses state-of-the science concepts, current research findings, and application of these concepts and findings. It uses state-of-the-art scientific methods to explore the underlying concepts of this emerging knowledge. Major areas of discussion include the evolved plant structural and chemical responses to grazing and animal behavior in relation to their selection of food and habitats. Participants are instructed in how to use analysis of plant-animal herbivore interactions to design grazing management plans that address both critical issues of soil, water, air, plant, and animal resource challenges as well as developing opportunities for positive livestock-wildlife interactions.

 Specific instruction addresses functional relationships among soils, plants, herbivores, and people as they pertain to managing landscapes.  Discussion addresses behavioral principles and processes, explores avenues for research;  analyzes implications for agricultural production involving feedlots, pastures, and rangelands;  considers enhancing and maintaining biodiversity through grazing with ecosystem restoration involving grazing, invasive species, and riparian areas; addresses enhancing wildlife values by mitigating human-wildlife conflicts; and provides considerations of  conservation biology including re-introducing endangered species.

Objectives

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

• Design grazing management plans that utilize plant-herbivore interaction concepts to resolves critical issues of soil, water, air, plant, and animal resources on grazing/ wildlife lands
• Explain different conceptual models of diet selection for animals, including the various kinds and classes of livestock, dairy animals, and grazing wildlife.
• Describe current scientific thinking on habitat selection.
• Project how current grazing management issues and considerations of plant-herbivore interaction concepts could affect future research direction.
• Evaluate plant - herbivore interaction concepts to design grazing management plans
• Discuss plant herbivore – interaction concepts in classroom settings and field exercises.  
• Analyze characteristics of plant chemical/morphological protections to establish their effects on grazing animal behavior and habitat selection.

Prerequisites

None

Duration

10 days

Target Audience

All who need to understand the details of plant-herbivore ecosystems that occur on rangeland, forest land, native pasture, pastureland, and grazed cropland

NEDC Contact

Stanley Sackeyfio, Training Specialist

Technical Specialist

Reggie Blackwell, Rangeland Specialist, CNTSC

Enrollment

Go to AgLearn to request enrollment in Plant Herbivor Interactions (000032).