Even in the absence of fire,M. minu

Even in the absence of fire,M. minutifloramay limit
native tree regeneration. Previous studies have demonstrated that removal or clipping of exotic tropical
grasses can increase establishment, survival and
growth of tree seedlings (Morosini & Klink 1997; Holl
1998; Holl et al. 2000; Zimmerman et al. 2000;
Griscomet al. 2005; Hooperet al. 2005; Denslowet al.
2006). However, these responses are not unique to
exotic species, as removal of native grasses has similar
effects (De Steven 1991; Van Auken & Bush 1997;
Daviset al. 1999; Williams et al. 2005; Sharam et al.
2006; but see Brown & Archer 1999). Therefore, in
savanna environments, it is not clear whether the displacement of native grasses by exotic grasses will have
a large net effect on tree regeneration