Effects of Species Removal on an Old‐field Plant Community

The effect of removing the dominant grasses on the net productivity of subordinate forb species was investigated in the perennial—grass stage of old—field succession. Removing the dominants increased the net productivity of subordinate species from 0.49 g/m 2 °day to 1.44 g/m 2 °day. The increased net productivity of subordinates was due to increased productivity by almost all subordinate species. This increase was not sufficient to equal the total net productivity of the unaltered community (2.26 g/m 2 °day). Net productivity by subordinates in the absence of dominants was less than that reported for earlier successional stages where the forbs are the dominant producers. However, this difference might have been caused by relatively low rainfall at the time of this experiment.