The composition of seed banks on kangaroo rat (Dipodomys spectabilis) mounds in a Chihuahuan Desert grassland

Koontz, Terri L.; Simpson, Heather L.

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2010.03.008

Cited by 17 publications

(20 citation statements)

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“…Soil seed‐density records in our Chihuahuan study are considerably smaller than typical viable seed amounts in other semiarid environments, for example the shortgrass steppe and mediterranean grasslands, which have average densities generally above 1,000 seeds/m 2 (Coffin and Lauenroth , Espigares and Peco ), although they are within the range of viable soil seed densities reported to occur in desert sites (Dwyer and Aguirre , Koontz and Simpson ). Concentration of the soil seed bank in densely vegetated microsites is characteristic of many arid and semiarid landscapes, where vegetation patches generally act as a sink for water, nutrients, and sediments, leading to improved soil properties (Bochet ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 49%

“…Spatial heterogeneity of soil seed density in these systems is usually explained by the patchy distribution of parental plants (i.e., seed pools generally decrease rapidly away from the parental plants for most gravity dispersed seeds) and patch‐to‐patch transmission of seeds by wind and/or runoff (Guo et al. , Koontz and Simpson , Thompson et al. ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Seed availability and the dynamics of seed germination and early seedling establishment are critical plant recruitment processes that can condition species dominance, plant‐regeneration patterns, and the rates of vegetation change in drylands (Coffin and Lauenroth , Espigares and Peco , Kigel , Bowers et al. , Koontz and Simpson , Peters et al. 2014, Bochet ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An important step toward understanding patterns in plant-species dominance and vegetation change at desert grassland-shrubland ecotones is determining plant-recruitment limitations imposed by the shrubencroachment process. Seed availability and the dynamics of seed germination and early seedling establishment are critical plant recruitment processes that can condition species dominance, plant-regeneration patterns, and the rates of vegetation change in drylands (Coffin and Lauenroth 1989, Espigares and Peco 1993, Kigel 1995, Bowers et al 2004, Koontz and Simpson 2010, Peters et al 2014, Bochet 2015. Previous studies of L. tridentata plant-age structure in a variety of North American desert sites suggests that recruitment of seedlings occurs primarily as rare episodic events that may influence shrubexpansion rates and the frequency of active encroachment pulses for the region (Chew and Chew 1965, Barbour 1969, Allen et al 2008.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Seed‐bank structure and plant‐recruitment conditions regulate the dynamics of a grassland‐shrubland Chihuahuan ecotone

Heras

Turnbull

Wainwright

2016

Ecology

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(2016) 'Seed-bank structure and plant-recruitment conditions regulate the dynamics of a grassland-shrubland Chihuahuan ecotone. ', Ecology., 97 (9). pp. 2303-2318. Further information on publisher's website:http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ecy.1446Publisher's copyright statement:Copyright by the Ecological Society of America Use policyThe full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that:• a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in DRO • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.Please consult the full DRO policy for further details. Abstract. Large areas of desert grasslands in the southwestern United States have shifted to sparse shrublands dominated by drought-tolerant woody species over the last 150 yr, accompanied by accelerated soil erosion. An important step toward the understanding of patterns in species dominance and vegetation change at desert grassland-shrubland transitions is the study of environmental limitations imposed by the shrub-encroachment phenomenon on plant establishment. Here, we analyze the structure of soil seed banks, environmental limitations for seed germination (i.e., soil-water availability and temperature), and simulated seedling emergence and early establishment of dominant species (black grama, Bouteloua eriopoda, and creosotebush, Larrea tridentata) across a Chihuahuan grassland-shrubland ecotone (Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico, USA). Average viable seed density in soils across the ecotone is generally low (200-400 seeds/ m 2 ), although is largely concentrated in densely vegetated areas (with peaks up to 800-1,200 seeds/m 2 in vegetated patches). Species composition in the seed bank is strongly affected by shrub encroachment, with seed densities of grass species sharply decreasing in shrubdominated sites. Environmental conditions for seed germination and seedling emergence are synchronized with the summer monsoon. Soil-moisture conditions for seedling establishment of B. eriopoda take place with a recurrence interval ranging between 5 and 8 yr for grassland and shrubland sites, respectively, and are favored by strong monsoonal precipitation. Limited L. tridentata seed dispersal and a narrow range of rainfall conditions for early seedling establishment (50-100 mm for five to six consecutive weeks) constrain shrub-recruitment pulses to localized and episodic decadal events (9-25 yr recurrence intervals) generally associated with late-summer rainfall. Re-establishment of B. eriopoda in areas now domi nated by L. tridentata is strongly limited by the lack of seeds and decreased plant-available soil moisture for seedling establishment.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 49%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Seed‐bank structure and plant‐recruitment conditions regulate the dynamics of a grassland‐shrubland Chihuahuan ecotone

Heras

Turnbull

Wainwright

2016

Ecology

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“…Kangaroo rats actively reduce total plant cover on and immediately adjacent to their mounds [26], [27], [28], which may attract ant foundresses and improve colony survivorship. I also observed a strong decrease in vegetative cover around mounds at my study area compared to random sites (Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Positive Interactions between Desert Granivores: Localized Facilitation of Harvester Ants by Kangaroo Rats

Edelman

2012

PLoS ONE

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Facilitation, when one species enhances the environment or performance of another species, can be highly localized in space. While facilitation in plant communities has been intensely studied, the role of facilitation in shaping animal communities is less well understood. In the Chihuahuan Desert, both kangaroo rats and harvester ants depend on the abundant seeds of annual plants. Kangaroo rats, however, are hypothesized to facilitate harvester ants through soil disturbance and selective seed predation rather than competing with them. I used a spatially explicit approach to examine whether a positive or negative interaction exists between banner-tailed kangaroo rat (Dipodomys spectabilis) mounds and rough harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex rugosus) colonies. The presence of a scale-dependent interaction between mounds and colonies was tested by comparing fitted spatial point process models with and without interspecific effects. Also, the effect of proximity to a mound on colony mortality and spatial patterns of surviving colonies was examined. The spatial pattern of kangaroo rat mounds and harvester ant colonies was consistent with a positive interspecific interaction at small scales (<10 m). Mortality risk of vulnerable, recently founded harvester ant colonies was lower when located close to a kangaroo rat mound and proximity to a mound partly predicted the spatial pattern of surviving colonies. My findings support localized facilitation of harvester ants by kangaroo rats, likely mediated through ecosystem engineering and foraging effects on plant cover and composition. The scale-dependent effect of kangaroo rats on abiotic and biotic factors appears to result in greater founding and survivorship of young colonies near mounds. These results suggest that soil disturbance and foraging by rodents can have subtle impacts on the distribution and demography of other species.

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Burrowing Rodents

Augustine,

Smith,

Davidson

et al. 2023

Rangeland Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

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Burrowing rodents have unusually disproportionate effects on rangeland ecosystems because they (1) engineer their environment through burrow construction and modification of vegetation structure, (2) influence ecosystem processes including aboveground plant production, nutrient cycling rates, and water infiltration patterns, (3) alter plant community composition, and (4) provide a prey base for a diverse array of predators. In some cases, engineering effects create habitat for certain faunal species that inhabit burrows or colonies of these rodents. We review the ecology and management of burrowing rodents that function as ecosystem engineers in western North America, which includes prairie dogs (five species in the genus Cynomys), ground squirrels (11 species in the genera Otospermophilus, Poliocitellus, and Urocitellus), pocket gophers (16 widespread species in the genera Cratogeomys, Geomys, and Thomomys), and kangaroo rats (eight widespread species in the genus Dipodomys). Effects of burrowing rodents on vegetation structure, species composition, and nutrient content vary with diet, degree of sociality, body size, and hibernation patterns, and potentially have significant effects on coexisting large grazers, including domestic livestock. Diets of prairie dogs overlap substantially with livestock. Impacts on ranching enterprises can vary with their abundance and seasonally, and may be greatest when burrowing rodents reduce dormant-season forage availability. Ground squirrel, pocket gopher, and kangaroo rat interactions with livestock vary among species in relation to their diet, degree of coloniality, and population density. All prairie dog and ground squirrel species are affected by outbreaks of plague caused by Yersinia pestis, a non-native disease. Plague and population control via rodenticides are the primary factors determining the distribution and abundance of these species. In contrast, pocket gophers and kangaroo rats are unaffected by plague. Management and conservation efforts that enable burrowing rodents to coexist with livestock across broad landscapes will likely be essential for the conservation of a unique suite of bird, mammal, herpetofaunal and arthropod species that depend on them as prey or on their engineering activities for habitat.

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The composition of seed banks on kangaroo rat (Dipodomys spectabilis) mounds in a Chihuahuan Desert grassland

Cited by 17 publications

References 45 publications

Seed‐bank structure and plant‐recruitment conditions regulate the dynamics of a grassland‐shrubland Chihuahuan ecotone

Seed‐bank structure and plant‐recruitment conditions regulate the dynamics of a grassland‐shrubland Chihuahuan ecotone

Positive Interactions between Desert Granivores: Localized Facilitation of Harvester Ants by Kangaroo Rats

Burrowing Rodents

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