Terms and Definitions

annuals - plants with a one year life cycle

browser - an animal that prefers to eat tender shoots, twigs, shrubs, and tree leaves

carbohydrates - starches, sugars, and cellulose produced by plants during photosynthesis that release energy during digestion

cellulose - the chief component of plant tissues and fibers

composting - the decay or break down of organic matter

fodder - coarse, dry food, such as hay, fed to livestock

grazer - an animal adapted to eating grasses

perennials - plants with a multi-year cycle that survive dry and cold weather by going dormant

ratites - flightless, running birds, such as emus and ostriches, that have a flat breastbone without a keel

ruminants - a group (suborder) of plant-eating hoofed mammals that have a multi-chambered stomach as part of their complex digestive tract which houses billions of micro-organisms to help digest cellulose