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An artificial hoof was used to simulate trampling effects on native shortgrass sods in a greenhouse experiment. Severe to moderate trampling was applied to sods maintained under 3 soil water regimes. Trampling was done either throughout a 32-day period to represent a continuous grazing system, or only during the last 4 of the 32 days to simulate a short-duration grazing system. Soil bulk density increased 3%, and infiltration rate declined 57% under severe trampling. Trampling throughout the 32-day period resulted in 4% higher bulk density than did a similar level of trampling that was applied only during the last 4 days of the trial. Dead vegetation was more easily removed by hoof action than was living vegetation, and severe water stress made plant material more brittle. Aboveground biomass production was 7% greater under trampling that simulated short-duration grazing, and 17% more forage remained in the standing crop under this treatment. About 38% more vegetation was detached by hoof action under simulated continuous grazing as compared with the short-duration grazing treatment. This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information. Migrated from OJS platform August 2020