structure

 

Vegetation stratification in a grazed pasture and after abandonment (1912 m, Hohe Tauern, Austria; after Tappeiner and Cernusca, 1993)

The stratification of the vegetation of this managed pasture (red) showed a high concentration of biomass within the lower 2 cm of the vegetation (cattle were excluded in the year of the measurements).
Three years after abandonment (grey) the vegetation structure had significantly changed to a higher vegetation.