A study was conducted in the Texas Rolling Plains to test the hypotheses that short-duration grazing increases plant density and diversity in grasslands. Densities of 9 species of winter annual forbs and 2 species of annual grass were compared in short-duration grazed and ungrazed areas for 2 years. Livestock grazing in spring and early summer affected density of 8 winter annuals the following winter. Densities of 2 grasses [little barley (Hordeum pusillum Nutt.) and six-weeks fescue (Vulpia octoflora [Walt.] Rydb.)] and 3 forbs [common broomweed (Xanthocephalum dracunculoides [DC.]), Gordon's bladderpod (Lesquerella Gordonii [Gray] Wats.), and Texas filaree (Erodium texanum Gray.)] were higher in grazed areas; 3 forbs [bitterweed (Hymenoxys odorata DC.), spurge (Euphorbia sp.), and woolly plaintain (Plantago patagonica Jacq.) were more abundant in exclosures. Richness and diversity of winter annuals generally were not affected by grazing. Increased precipitation during germination and establishment greatly increased the density of winter annuals. This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information. Migrated from OJS platform August 2020
Scholarly peer-reviewed articles published by the Society for Range Management. Access articles on a rolling-window basis from vol. 1, 1948 up to 5 years from the current year. Formerly Journal of Range Management (JRM). More recent content is available by subscription from SRM.