To determine the effects of competition and herbivory on plant growth in plant communities with low, medium or high levels of biomass, target plants were transplanted to plots with and without neighboring plants and grazing pressure. Neighbor removal, grazing exclusion and the combination of these two treatments enhanced the biomass of target plants, indicating that both competition and herbivory limit plant growth in this community. The effects of all treatments increased as plant community biomass increased, indicating that the effects of competition and herbivory are greater in more productive plant communities. The author suggests that although the results of this experiment are based on the response of a single target plant species (Poa compressa), the results are probably relevant to other species within the tested plant community.
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