Cattle grazing has a surprisingly harmful affect on dry grassland of the southwe

Question

Cattle grazing has a surprisingly harmful affect on dry grassland of the southwestern United States. What aspect of grazing is most likely responsible?

A. Cattle are seed-dispersal mutualists; they gather shrub seeds while grazing and then deposit them in a concentrated area when they defecate.

B. Cattle compress the soil; the small amount of rainfall runs off the surface rather than penetrating, and the deep-rooted grasses are replaced by shallow-rooted shrubs.

C. Cattle droppings are toxic to the grasses that cattle prefer; eventually, the buildup of toxins permits only toxin-resistant shrubs to grow.

D. Grazing exposes the native plants to sunlight, which initially stunts and eventually inhibits their growth.

Explanation / Answer

Answer B.

Cattle grazing has many side effects, but in the above question, senario B is the best option. The compression of soil by the cattle is a problem found around the world.

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