DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 



Plant communities under study continue to respond both functionally and 

 structurally to natural environmental fluctuations. Climatic variations, 

 primarily the moisture balance, are thought to be the primary cause of the 

 observed changes in plant communities. The collection of climatic and readily 

 available soil moisture data is a step forward in accounting for this natural 

 variation in prairie plant communities. Several years of data collection 

 will be necessary before the relationship between climatic variables and 

 vegetation can be assessed. The level of sampling accuracy attained in 1981 

 is thought to be adequate for this purpose. 



Continued studies in 1982 should be based on the 1981 approach. 



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