In an 18 month study, in oak post savannah in east central Texas, individual plant basal area decreased and total plant density increased when Schizachyrium scoparium was subjected to repeated, 2 and 3 day periods of light or heavy grazing, followed by at least 30 days of rest. These changes were the result of fragmentation of large plants into smaller specimens, with more tillers per cm2. Because drought occurred during the latter part of the study, and is also a cause of fragmentation, the authors suggest that a reduction in plant basal area and subsequent increase in dominance by grazing tolerant plants can bring about bunchgrass decline. In the same study, herbivory extended the period of tiller recruitment, but did not change total tillering.
Citations and enhanced abstracts for journals articles and documents focused on rangeland ecology and management. RSIS is a collaboration between Montana State University, University of Idaho, and University of Wyoming.