Grazing effects on aboveground primary production and root biomass of early-seral, mid-seral, and undisturbed semiarid grassland

► Grazing over a grassland secondary succession gradient was studied. ► Forage production decreased, root biomass increased, over early, mid, to late stages. ► There was a seral-stage tradeoff between forage production and carbon sequestration. ► Grazing effects on production varied with succession, with no effects on roots. ► Grazing effects in native communities may not indicate effects on successional ones.