Effects of feral horse herds on plant communities across a precipitation gradient
Baur LE. Effects of feral horse herds on plant communities across a precipitation gradient. Research Permit and Reporting System
We used long-term grazing exclosures and fenceline contrasts to evaluate the impacts of feral horses on plant communities at five sites across the western United States. We found that feral horses significantly reduced grass biomass and total biomass at alpha=0.1, but did not have a significant effect on plant community composition, species richness, diversity, evenness, or dominance. The effects of horses did not vary by site.