The authors observed the effects of small mammal grazing and herbivory by above- and below-ground invertebrates on plant species abundance and richness in the tallgrass prairie of Kansas. Small mammals were contained in 3 m x 3 m pens and insecticide applications were used to control numbers of invertebrates. The grazing by small mammals had an effect on the biomass on 10 out of 54 plant species. The species affected were those with a relative importance of less than 10%. Abundance of C4 grasses was affected by small mammal herbivory, whereas numbers of C4 annual forbs were lowest when above-ground herbivory was reduced. The pesticide treatment altered the biomass of two species, but only in one year. Overall, manipulation of small mammal and invertebrate densities had few significant effects on the tallgrass prairie plant community.
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