Protected rangelands show no increase in species richness despite grazing ban.
Livestock grazing in Western rangelands has been thought to reduce species diversity. A study looked at 24 long-term exclosures in Utah, Wyoming, and Montana to see if protecting areas from grazing would increase species richness. They found that after years of protection, the number of species did not increase inside the exclosures compared to outside. This suggests that grazing may not be the main factor affecting species diversity in these rangelands.
