Weigel et al. broadcast seeded a kleingrass cultivar (Panicum coloratum L. 'Selection 75') into tobosagrass (Hilaria mutica) range, managed under a short-duration grazing regime, to test the impact of hoof action on germination. Grazing did not impact seedling emergence, which did not differ between grazed and ungrazed treatments, or seedling survival. All seedlings died 3 to 7 days post-emergence, likely due to lack of rainfall and competition from established perennials. While soil strength, a proxy for bulk density, was greater in hoofprints following the first year of trampling, compaction did not differ in the second year plots, suggesting that the clay Vertisols of the site recovered via shrink-swell action between treatments.
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