A five year study examined the effects of browsing by wildlife and domestic sheep on the structure, growth and reproduction of two common willow species (Salix boothii, and S. geyeriana) along Upper Meadow Creek (45° 17’ N; 118° 36’ W) a tributary of the Grande Ronde River in Northeastern Oregon. . Elk used the site from spring to fall while sheep were grazed in the summers at a stocking rate of 0.067 AUMs per ha (light grazing). Browsing on willows was measured as the number of plants browsed, not the level of browsing. Vegetative measurements (% browse, number of stems, crown area, main stem diameter, and mean stem diameter) were taken after the growing season and prior to leaf fall. Reproductive measurements were conducted in June.
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