In this 3-year study of the vegetation in 4 livestock exclosures in North Dakota, Brand and Goetz found that the exclosures had greater graminoid leaf heights and greater mulch accumulation than the adjacent grazed plots. However, total yield and total belowground biomass were not significantly different between plots in 3 out of the 4 sites. The production of blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) was lower, and the production of thread-leaf sedge (Carex filifolia) and C. Heliophila was greater in the exclosures than on the adjacent grazed plots. This data indicates the potential for changes in growth form dominance and total yield, due to management inputs, must be evaluated on a site specific basis. Species composition was a more reliable indicator of successional status than growth form dominance.
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