Effects of different clipping intensities on above- and below-ground production in simulated herbaceous plant communities

Abstract

We studied the effect of clipping on above- and below-ground production in different plant communities through a factorial experiment. We designed five pasture systems with different species composition, perennials/annuals ratio and soil water availability, recreating different altitudinal locations, and simulated a gradient of grazing intensity by clipping with different heights and frequencies. Response patterns of above- and below-ground production were similar, increasing with the higher clipping frequency and decreasing with altitude. These results suggest that high grazing intensity stimulate above-ground production, but only in certain situations of species composition, density, diversity,perennials/annuals ratio and water availability. This stimulus, however, is unsustainable over time, and the lower clipping frequencies are those that favour the maintenance of production.