In a Kansas tallgrass prairie, sites burned annually in spring and subjected to bison (Bison bison) grazing, over an 8-year period, had greater available light and inorganic nitrogen than similar ungrazed sites. Bakker et al. demonstrate a strong correlation between species richness and light levels, and between species richness and heterogeneity in light availability. Species richness, in grazed areas, increased by 25% during the study period. The results suggest that the creation of mosaic vegetation patches, with high and low biomass (the primary determinant of light availability in mesic grasslands), is an important mechanism by which grazers affect species richness in high productivity grasslands.
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