Reader determined plant mortality caused by herbivory and competition for three plant species (Medicago lupulina, Centaurea nigra, Taraxacum officinale), by excluding herbivores and removing neighboring plants. When plants were exposed to herbivores, survival was greater when neighboring plants were removed, suggesting that competition from neighboring plants may reduce target plant survival. However, when plants were protected from herbivory, the removal of neighboring plants did not affect survival, indicating that competition actually had minimal impacts on the survival of these three species in this growth environment. The authors concluded that herbivory was reduced for some unknown reason when neighboring plants were removed and they caution that the impacts of small mammal and insect grazing should be evaluated in all experiments measuring plant competition to determine if herbivory is a confounding factor at the site.
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