Computer aided unloading elastic compliance method was employed to measure the closure and the length of short cracks. The most significant factor that influences the fatigue growth behavior of short cracks is the crack closure Phenomenon. dc/dN-$Delta$ $K_{eff}$ relationships of short cracks are found to coincide well with the corresponding long crack relationships. Non-propagating behavior of short cracks at notch root can be predicted from the crack opening SIF of short cracks, $K_{op}$ , and the growth equation of long cracks in Region I and II.n Region I and II.I.