The animals that burrow in the soil clearly aerate the soil and increase water infiltration. Their wastes and activities help mix the soil in an orderly way, and affects the microbial community. Mixing soil without overturning layers in the top few centimeters preserves the microbial habitats, which is analogous on a micro scale to the different bird species that occupy specific levels in a forest. Harvesting As any gardener or horticulturist knows, proper harvesting promotes healthy plants. However, the converse is also true.
Different plants have different growth characteristics.
Understanding what variables affect growth of individual grasses, plants, stems, and roots affect the way proper harvesting is done. Effect on Ecosystem Processes Browsers harvest mostly the young shoots and buds from woody plants. This greatly affects the growth form, and the type of cover below the canopy of trees that exist in a given area. In the photo below, deer have been excluded from the area on the left side, and dense undergrowth has developed in only 2 years. Clearly visible on the outside of the fence, and under the trees in the distance is an absence of limbs and shoots for about 2 meters above the ground.