An area fenced off to keep animals out or prevent them from grazing, often used in ecological research to protect vegetation.
From 'ex-' (out) + 'closure' (from Latin 'claudere,' to close). This ecological term is a deliberate opposite of 'enclosure'—it keeps things out rather than in.
Scientists use exclosures to see what plants would look like without deer, rabbits, or cattle eating them—they're like control experiments that reveal the hidden impact of animals on entire ecosystems.
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