Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico erected a series of ungulate exclosures in pinyon (Pinus edulis)-juniper (Juniperus spp.), ponderosa (Pinus ponderosa) grassland, and mixed-conifer habitat types in the summer of 1998. The authors objectives were to assess changes in density, percent foliar/litter cover, basal area, species richness, and composition through the application of different intensities of simulated clipping and trampling within Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) exclosures. Litter cover was negatively correlated with clipping intensity in pinyon-juniper and mixed-conifer sites. Trampling more consistently impacted parameters and may stimulate plant productivity at an moderate intensity, especially in terms of forb response. The authors suggest that much longer time periods may be needed to detect vegetative responses to changes in grazing pressure, especially in ecosystems that have developed with a history of grazing pressure.
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