Structural anti-quality characteristics of range and pasture plants

Structural anti-quality characteristics are physical plant traits that redu ce the performance and productivity of herbivores and quality of their agri cultural products. Most structural anti-quality characteristics of plants a ffect the rate at which herbivores gather and ingest forages, reducing the total amount of food obtained or increasing the time necessary to obtain fo od. Structural anti-quality can substantially influence searching time (e.g ., plant crypticity, distribution), cropping time (e.g,, plant fibrousness, tensile and shear strength), and bite size (e.g., plant canopy structure, spinescence), Plant structural characteristics can also reduce digestion (e .g., silica), cause injury (e.g., spines, a,pns, burrs, calluses), or reduc e the quality of animal products, such as wool (e.g., propagules), The effe cts of structural antiquality characteristics depend on the morphology of t he herbivore, especially its size, the morphology of the focal plant, and t heir contest within the habitat. Integrated grazing management plans should consider options to reduce the negative effects of structural anti-quality . Carefully selecting appropriate livestock species with previous experienc e, and the appropriate season of grazing can minimize anti-quality on range lands. Because structural anti-quality may actually promote sustainability of grazing systems by preventing severe defoliation, or by providing refuge s for highly desirable forages, it may not be desirable to completely count eract their effects.