Brown and Stuth compared tiller regrowth in Schizachyrium scoparium and Paspalum plicatulum at light, moderate, heavy and extreme levels of defoliation, over 4 years in a Texas grassland. Schizachyrium scoparium was able to compensate for lost leaf tissue during the course of the grazing season, while Paspalum was not. The Schizachyrium community declined due to preferred selection by cattle under light and heavy grazing. Schizachyrium tiller recruitment declined by 50% under grazing, while Paspalum tiller recruitment remained similar, with or without grazing; suggesting that repeat herbivory depresses future tiller development. Despite the greater tolerance of grazing by Schizachyrium by individual plants, herbivore selectivity appears to control plant community composition in this grassland.
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