Fig 6. Results of a small-scale clipping experiment mimicking the effect of biomass removal by the cattle on the vegetation in the study area (removal of all shoots higher than 7 cm).
The experiment was conducted within experimental units of 0.16m2 protected from grazing (see Appendix B in S1 File for details). (a, e) Clipped biomass of forbs and grasses in the two habitats. (b, f) Seedling mortality. (c, g) Extinction rates. (d, h) Species richness at the end of the growing season. Bars represent 95% confidence levels. Significant differences between clipped biomass of grasses and forbs (a, c) and between clipping treatments (b-d, f-h) are marked by asterisks.