Response of Needle-and-Thread and Western Wheatgrass to Defoliation by Grasshoppers

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Abstract
Field and greenhouse studies were conducted to measure changes in plant growth resulting from grasshopper defoliation. As grasshopper grazing intensity-on needle- and-thread grass increased, total root weight decreased. A greenhouse study with western wheatgrass howed that heavy grazing (80% removal of top growth) for a 16-day period reduced top growth 82%, root growth 85%, crown growth 81%, rhizome growth 100%, and depth of root penetration 49%. Field observations indicated that most grasshopper defoliation of needle-and-thread grass and western wheatgrass occurs after seasonal growth has been completed.