Exclosures can help plant communities recover from deer grazing, but it depends on reducing unpalatable plants and when the exclosure is installed. A study in Japan found that plant cover increased over time inside exclosures, especially for non-grass species. Plant communities inside exclosures installed in 2010 became more similar to those in 1981, while those in 2011 took longer to recover. Outside exclosures, plant communities didn't change much. Delaying exclosure installation by one year could set back plant recovery by more than a year.