Long-term grazing exclosures were used to determine how moderate, rotational grazing impacted the production and dispersal of curlymesquite (Hilaria belangeri) seeds on the western Edwards Plateau, Texas. The density and percent cover of common curlymesquite was greater in grazed areas, however, the reduced number of plants inside exclosures tended to be larger and have greater cover per plant. Grazing increased the density of spikelet clusters, dispersed seeds, and curlymesquite seeds in the seedbank, however, the increase was a result of the increased number of plants in the grazed area, not the an increase in reproductive potential of individual plants. The results of this study indicate that moderate, rotational grazing can enhance the reproductive potential of common curlymesquite in southwestern rangelands and the authors suggest that this plant will most likely remain dominant while this grazing management practice is applied in this plant community.
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