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Why have deer and sheep severely damaged tussock grasslands in New Zealand?
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Grassland
A prairie grassland in Buffalo Gap National Grassland, South Dakota, U.S.
The tussock grasslands of New Zealand have suffered severe degradation because the native grasses, which are commonly dominated by species of Poa, evolved in the absence of grazing mammals.1
Because these plants did not develop natural defenses against such herbivores, the introduction of exotic fauna like deer and sheep has caused significant damage to the vegetation in many areas.1