What ecological term is used to describe species that rely exclusively on consuming plants?

The term used to describe species that exclusively consume plants is "herbivores." Herbivores play a crucial role in ecosystems as primary consumers, directly relying on plant matter for their energy needs. This dietary specialization allows them to contribute to the flow of energy within the food chain, as they are the organisms that transform sunlight-captured energy stored in plants into forms that can be consumed by higher trophic levels, such as carnivores or omnivores.

While carnivores consume meat, and omnivores have a mixed diet of plants and animals, it is herbivores that focus solely on plant material. Predators, a term related to the hunting species that consume prey, also do not represent the exclusive plant-eating behavior of herbivores. Understanding these distinctions is essential in studying ecological relationships and the dynamics of food webs in various habitats.