“…Woody encroachment occurs in response to multifaceted and interacting anthropogenically influenced causes, including climate change (Sankaran et al., ; Eamus & Palmer, ; Munson et al. ), changes to nutrient cycles (Köchy & Wilson, ; Kraaij & Ward, ), fire suppression (Kraaij & Ward, ; Roques, O'Connor, & Watkinson, ), and overgrazing (Kraaij & Ward, ; Roques et al., ; Van Auken, ). Plant species responsible for woody encroachment generally decrease the diversity of grassland plant communities (Ratajczak, Nippert, & Collins, ) and alter abiotic conditions for native herbaceous and graminoid species (Jo, Fridley, & Frank, ; Siemann & Rogers, ).…”