The leaves take in carbon dioxide from the air through tiny pores. Using solar energy, the leaves re-combine the carbon with oxygen and hydrogen to make sugars and starches. The sugars then combine with minerals from the soils to make fibers, proteins, plant oils and fats. The plants use the sugars, starches, proteins, oils and fats to grow and reproduce The ability of perennial grasses and legumes to recover quickly after grazing and mowing makes these plants extremely valuable for forage production and soil protection. Removing too many leaves retards forage production and damages the plants root system.
Plants eventually die if over harvest of the leaves continues.
Root growth is closely related to forage production. Plants maintain their maximum root vigor and growth when no more than half their leaves are removed by grazing or mowing during the growing season. If the plants food producing mechanism is deprived, leaf and root growth are reduced accordingly In all grasses, the volume of leaf removed has a direct effect on the growth of new roots. Roots are the vital supply lines of moisture and minerals to the leaves. Perennial plants store food in the roots after seasonal growth.