The effects of ungulate grazing on Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem grass) will be investigated at several levels. The effects of herbivory on plant morphology, fitness and animal preference will be used to predict the effects of herbivory on S. scoparium population structure and regulation and on the distribution of S. scoparium across the landscape. These predications will be tested by further field experiments and by surveying existing populations of S. scoparium across the landscape taking advantage of )and verifying) existing spatial variation in grazing intensity at several scales. This study will help fill important gaps in our knowledge of plant/animal interactions: the effects of herbivores on plant fitness and plant populations and how processes at these levels determine landscape patterns of important rangeland forage grass.
