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A technique to quantify available above?ground phytomass of grass tufts in defoliation studies is described. Highly significant correlations were found between tuft volume and above?ground phytomass in eighteen out of twenty?two species that were examined. Tuft volume can therefore be used to calculate the above?ground phytomass of a tuft. This can then be used to obtain a more objective description of utilization. The determination of the relative percentage utilization is based on the percentage material removed from a known amount.