Allen and Bartolome studied the impact of grazing by cattle and deer for reduction of shrubs and herbaceous plants on tree plantations established on clearcuts in the Sierra Nevada of California. Cattle reduced the shrub and herbaceous canopy cover to 8% and 31% after 6 and 8 years, respectively, of summer grazing. These levels fall within Forest Service objectives for seedling establishment. While white fir (Abies concolor) and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) were browsed at 17 and 33%, respectively, on one grazed plot, browsing was insignificant on another. The authors suggest that, despite some seedling loss to browsing and trampling, which is expected, cattle benefit tree plantations by reducing competition of woody and herbaceous species.
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