Anthropogenic water sources and the effects on Sonoran Desert small mammal communities

Switalski, Aaron B.; Bateman, Heather L.

doi:10.7717/peerj.4003

Cited by 8 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 41 publications

(45 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Lagomorphs (i.e., black‐tailed jackrabbits and Audubon's cottontails) were positively associated with belowground AWCs, the only type of AWC accessible to small mammals. In addition to water, these AWCs may have provided cleared vegetation or sheet metal that could be used as cover and increased foraging opportunities (Burkett and Thompson , Switalski and Bateman ). Artificial water catchments helped explain variation in the spatial occurrences of numerous bird species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The influence of AWCs on small mammals, however, may vary by region. In Utah, USA, there was no evidence that water developments influenced small‐mammal abundance (Kluever et al ), whereas in New Mexico and Arizona, USA, sites with water developments had greater small‐mammal abundance and richness, respectively (Burkett and Thompson , Switalski and Bateman ). Additionally, several negative effects of AWCs have been proposed, including increased predation and interspecific competition, health issues related to water quality, and disease transmission (Rosenstock et al ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Artificial water catchments influence wildlife distribution in the Mojave Desert

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Water often limits the distribution and productivity of wildlife in arid environments. Consequently, resource managers have constructed artificial water catchments (AWCs) in deserts of the southwestern United States, assuming that additional free water benefits wildlife. We tested this assumption by using data from acoustic and camera trap surveys to determine whether AWCs influenced the distributions of terrestrial mammals (>0.5 kg), birds, and bats in the Mojave Desert, California, USA. We sampled 200 sites in 2016-2017 using camera traps and acoustic recording units, 52 of which had AWCs. We identified detections to the species-level, and modeled occupancy for each of the 44 species of wildlife photographed or recorded. Artificial water catchments explained spatial variation in occupancy for 8 terrestrial mammals, 4 bats, and 18 bird species. Occupancy of 18 species was strongly and positively associated with AWCs, whereas 1 species (i.e., horned lark [Eremophila alpestris]) was negatively associated. Access to an AWC had a larger influence on species' distributions than precipitation and slope and was nearly as influential as temperature. In our study area, AWCs functioned as an important influence on wildlife occupancy, which supports the longheld assumption that AWCs may benefit wildlife in arid habitats. We encourage managers to maintain existing AWCs, particularly those in areas forecasted to have the largest decrease in water availability. We also recommend long-term, systematic monitoring of AWCs, which will facilitate more informed management decisions. Ó

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Artificial water catchments influence wildlife distribution in the Mojave Desert

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Even construction activities such as the building of tourist accommodation facilities in wildlife areas do affect large mammals' abundance and diversity (Rimaze et al, 2020). Furthermore, water availability does shape species distribution (Switalski & Bateman, 2017) by influencing food availability (Parker et al, 2009). For example, during the dry season, elephants in Pangola Game Reserve, South Africa are widely distributed around the Josini Dam and riverine thickets as they are the only places with significant food resources during that season (Shannon et al, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do vegetation, disturbances, and water influence large mammal distribution?

Gunda

Chambi

Eustace

2020

Geology, Ecology, and Landscapes

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Species distribution can be influenced by different factors that may either be biotic or abiotic. In the Serengeti Ecosystem, most of the studies on species distribution have focused on single species. In contrast, few which considered multispecies have been done in larger protected areas such as Serengeti National Park and left the small areas like Kijereshi Game Reserve (KGR) unexplored. Here, we assessed the impact of vegetation, proximity to humans, and the distance from the roads and waterways on large mammal distribution in the KGR. We used line transects to record locations and numbers of large mammals in the KGR while the distances from boundaries, roads, and waterways were calculated by using QGIS. To assess how large mammals varied in response to different vegetation types, proximity to human settlements, and distances to nearest roads and the waterways, Generalized Additive Model (GAM) was used. Our findings revealed that vegetation and proximity to humans do not significantly affect large mammal density. However, we observed a significant non-linear relationship between large mammal density and distances from the roads and waterways. Therefore, the study findings provide a foundation for large mammal studies in the KGR, which are essential in planning and implementation of wildlife tourism activities.

show abstract

“…Herbivore abundances within urban parks are often expected to be higher than those found in rural areas due to human activities that concentrate food resources and eradicate native predators ( Rodewald & Shustack, 2008 ; Shochat et al, 2010 ). Trail systems, anthropogenic water sources, surface temperature and the presence of utilities may be favored by certain species to increase their abundance in urban parks ( Markovchick-Nicholls et al, 2008 ; Pianalto & Yool, 2017 ; Rudd & Bateman, 2015 ; Switalski & Bateman, 2017 ). Species richness, on the other hand, is expected to decrease with urbanization (sensu McKinney, 2008 ; Saari et al, 2016 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Urbanization alters small rodent community composition but not abundance

Guevara

Ball

2018

PeerJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Desert ecosystems are one of the fastest urbanizing areas on the planet. This rapid shift has the potential to alter the abundances and species richness of herbivore and plant communities. Herbivores, for example, are expected to be more abundant within urban desert remnant parks located within cities due to anthropogenic activities that concentrate food resources and reduce native predator populations. Despite this assumption, previous research conducted around Phoenix, AZ, USA has shown that top-down herbivory led to equally reduced plant biomass in both urban and outlying locations. It is unclear if this insignificant difference in herbivory at urban and outlying sites is due to unaltered desert herbivore populations or altered activity levels that counteract abundance differences. Small rodent herbivore/granivore populations were surveyed at four sites inside and four sites outside of the core of Phoenix during fall 2014 and spring 2015 in order to determine whether abundances and richness differ significantly between urban and rural sites. In order to survey species composition and abundance at these sites, 100 Sherman traps and eight larger wire traps that are designed to attract and capture small vertebrates such as mice, rats, and squirrels were set at each site for two consecutive trap nights. Results suggest that the commonly assumed effect of urbanization on herbivore abundances does not apply to small rodent populations in a desert city, as overall small rodent abundances were statistically similar regardless of location. Though a significant difference was not found for species richness, a significant difference between small rodent genus richness at these sites was observed, with altered community composition. The compositional differences likely reflect the altered vegetative community and may impact ecological interactions at these sites.

show abstract

Anthropogenic water sources and the effects on Sonoran Desert small mammal communities

Cited by 8 publications

References 41 publications

Artificial water catchments influence wildlife distribution in the Mojave Desert

Artificial water catchments influence wildlife distribution in the Mojave Desert

Do vegetation, disturbances, and water influence large mammal distribution?

Urbanization alters small rodent community composition but not abundance

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About