Measurement of seasonal productivity over three years at the Hopland Field Station in Mendocino County, California, revealed significant differences in production and composition for the oak understory and adjacent open grassland. Productivity under the canopy was lower: about two-thirds of open grassland peak standing crop in spring, and about one-half of open grassland standing crop in winter. The understory and open differed significantly in species composition, but differences in forage quality were not important until late in the spring. Although species composition differed substantially between years, composition differences due to canopy effect remained consistent over the three years of the study.
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