The effect of small mammal exclusion on grassland recovery from disturbance in the Chihuahuan Desert

Svejcar, Lauren N.; Bestelmeyer, Brandon T.; James, Darren; Peters, Debra P. C.

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2019.04.001

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 33 publications

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“…We focused our sampling of lagomorphs across grassland‐to‐shrubland transitions associated with long‐term monitoring of mammals and their feedbacks to vegetation dynamics at the Jornada Basin site (i.e., the Ecotone Study; Bestelmeyer et al 2007, Schooley et al 2018, Svejcar et al 2019). Specifically, we sampled individuals on 24 sites that represented a broad gradient of encroachment by honey mesquite.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shrub encroachment creates a dynamic landscape of fear for desert lagomorphs via multiple pathways

2020

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Shrub encroachment is transforming arid and semiarid grasslands worldwide. Such transitions should influence predator–prey interactions because vegetation cover often affects risk perception by prey and contributes to their landscape of fear. We examined how the landscape of fear of two desert lagomorphs (black‐tailed jackrabbit, Lepus californicus; desert cottontail, Sylvilagus audubonii) changes across grassland‐to‐shrubland gradients at Jornada Basin Long Term Ecological Research site in the Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico. We test whether shrub encroachment shapes risk differently for these two lagomorphs because of differences in body size and predator escape tactics. We also examine whether an ecosystem engineer of grasslands (banner‐tailed kangaroo rat, Dipodomys spectabilis) mediates risk perception through the creation of escape refuge and whether trade‐offs exist between shrub encroachment and the local reduction of banner‐tailed kangaroo rats caused by shrub expansion. We measured perceived predation risk with flight initiation distances (FIDs) and then used structural equation modeling to tease apart the hypothesized direct and indirect pathways for how shrub encroachment could affect perceived risk. A total negative effect of shrub cover on FID was supported for jackrabbits and cottontails, suggesting both species perceive shrubbier habitat as safer. Increases in fine‐scale concealment also reduced risk for cottontails, but not jackrabbits, likely because cottontails rely on crypsis to avoid predator detection whereas jackrabbits rely on speed and agility to outrun predators. Perceived risk was reduced when individuals were near kangaroo rat mounds only for cottontails because the smaller species can use banner‐tailed kangaroo rat mounds as refuge. Shrub encroachment greatly reduced the availability of mounds. Thus, a trade‐off exists for cottontails in which shrub encroachment directly reduced perceived risk, but indirectly increased perceived risk through the local extirpation of an ecosystem engineer. Our work illustrates how the expansion of shrub encroachment can create a dynamic landscape of fear for populations of prey species involving direct and indirect pathways contingent on prey body size, escape tactics, and activities of an ecosystem engineer.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shrub encroachment creates a dynamic landscape of fear for desert lagomorphs via multiple pathways

2020

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Positive role of plateau pika (Ochotona coronae) on environmental quality at low and moderate density on the Tibetan plateau: Evidence from a meta-analysis

Cui,

Wang,

Zhou

et al. 2024

Journal of Environmental Management

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Plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae) at low densities have no destructive effect on winter pasture in alpine meadows

Wei

Zheng

2020

Rangel. J.

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The plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) is a common small mammal species present in the alpine meadow ecosystem on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), and is regarded as a pest in alpine meadows when population density exceeds a certain threshold. However, whether pikas with a low population density have a detrimental effect on alpine meadows in winter pasture is unknown. Vegetation and soil were sampled in eight individual pika patchy home ranges and eight control areas, and we found vegetation and soil properties showed different trends in the pika home ranges. Plateau pika activity significantly increased the below-ground biomass, soil pH and total potassium, but had no significant effect on the plant species richness or diversity, soil moisture, NH4-N, NO3-N, total phosphorus, available phosphorus and soil organic content. However, plateau pika activity reduced some vegetation and soil properties (e.g. vegetation cover, vegetation height, aboveground biomass, graminoids, soil bulk density and available potassium). These results imply that pika activity may improve some soil nutrients but have no destructive effect on winter pasture at a low population density.

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The effect of small mammal exclusion on grassland recovery from disturbance in the Chihuahuan Desert

Cited by 4 publications

References 33 publications

Shrub encroachment creates a dynamic landscape of fear for desert lagomorphs via multiple pathways

Shrub encroachment creates a dynamic landscape of fear for desert lagomorphs via multiple pathways

Positive role of plateau pika (Ochotona coronae) on environmental quality at low and moderate density on the Tibetan plateau: Evidence from a meta-analysis

Plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae) at low densities have no destructive effect on winter pasture in alpine meadows

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