Olson and Richards examined the regrowth of a tussock grass, Agropyron desertorum, after grazing by cattle in the cold-desert shrub steppe of Utah. On tussocks grazed before internode (culm) elongation, tiller relative regrowth rates were usually greater than on ungrazed tussocks for up to three weeks. Grazing during culm elongation usually reduced tiller relative growth rates, but stimulated the growth of axillary tillers. Grazing after the completion of internode elongation decreased tiller relative growth rates and did not stimulate axillary tiller production. Spring tillering may ameliorate some of the long-term effects of grazing during or after culm elongation when regrowth of grazed tillers is limited by the lack of intercalary meristem activity.
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