The Influence of Pocket Gophers on the Biotic and Abiotic Environment

Reichman, O. J.

doi:10.1007/978-3-540-69276-8_20

Cited by 14 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…Our findings of higher activity on sand dunes could imply higher density of tuco-tucos or larger and more complex burrowing systems (caused by a higher digging activity), as in the case of pocket gophers (Romañ ach et al, 2005). Subterranean rodents seem to be partitioned into three major dietary groups: the Bathyergidae and Spalacinae, which mainly feed on underground organs of plants (Šumbera et al, 2007;Zhang, 2007), the Geomyidae with a generalist diet (Reichman, 2007), and the Ctenomyidae with their basic diet made up of aerial plant parts (Madoery, 1993). The mendocino tuco-tuco is a herbivorous rodent whose diet is mainly composed of leaves of grasses of the genus Panicum.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

Use of resources by the subterranean rodent Ctenomys mendocinus (Rodentia, Ctenomyidae), in the lowland Monte desert, Argentina

Albanese¹,

Rodríguez²,

Dacar³

et al. 2010

Journal of Arid Environments

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

Use of resources by the subterranean rodent Ctenomys mendocinus (Rodentia, Ctenomyidae), in the lowland Monte desert, Argentina

Albanese¹,

Rodríguez²,

Dacar³

et al. 2010

Journal of Arid Environments

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“…Physical altering of soil by subterranean rodents together with their consumption of plants represents great impacts on whole ecosystems, as has been recently emphasized (Reichman & Seabloom 2002; Zhang et al. 2003; Reichman 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…This is on the lower end of displacement rates estimated for North American pocket gophers (3-57 m 3 ⁄ ha ⁄ yr; Smallwood & Morrison 1999), rodents living in much higher population densities. Physical altering of soil by subterranean rodents together with their consumption of plants represents great impacts on whole ecosystems, as has been recently emphasized (Reichman & Seabloom 2002;Zhang et al 2003;Reichman 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Home‐Range Dynamics in a Solitary Subterranean Rodent

et al. 2009

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Despite an important role of subterranean rodents as ecosystem engineers, their belowground mobility is poorly documented. It is supposed that their underground burrow systems, once established, are relatively stable because of high‐energy costs of digging. We chose the silvery mole‐rat, Heliophobius argenteocinereus (Bathyergidae, Rodentia) from mesic Afrotropics as a representative of solitary subterranean rodents to investigate how, and how fast these rodents process their established burrow systems. We combined radio‐tracking of individual animals with subsequent mapping of their burrow systems, and we developed a new method for assessing the rate of burrowing. Mole‐rats continuously rebuilt their burrow systems; they excavated approx. 0.7 m of new tunnels per day and backfilled on average 64% of all tunnels. On average, every 32 d they established a new nest. They often completely backfilled newly excavated peripheral burrows, while other parts of their burrow systems were more permanent. Their home‐ranges were dynamic and continuously shifted in space. Burrow system processing continued even in the advanced dry season, when soil is difficult to work.

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“…Mounds can occupy up to 25%-30% of the ground surface in a given year (Huntly and Reichman 1994). Mounding disturbance can play a key role in the community structure of grasslands (Reichman 2007), reinitiating succession at a local scale and altering species composition by promoting growth forms adapted to disturbance. Although these relationships have been well documented in lowland prairies, they have received limited attention in higher-elevation (montane or subalpine) systems, where responses to disturbance may differ due to a shorter growing season, dominance by perennial, often clonal species (Sherrod et al 2005;Jones et al 2008), and other factors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contributions of gopher mound and casting disturbances to plant community structure in a Cascade Range meadow complex

Case

Halpern

Levin

2013

Botany

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Pocket gophers (Geomyidae) are major agents of disturbance in North American grasslands. Gopher mounds bury existing plants and influence community structure through various mechanisms. However, in mountain meadows that experience winter snowpack, gophers also create winter castings, smaller tube-shaped deposits, previously ignored in studies of plant–gopher disturbance relationships. We studied the influences of the Mazama pocket gopher (Thomomys mazama Merriam, 1897) in montane meadows of the Oregon Cascades, quantifying community patterns at larger spatial scales than previously studied in this system and considering, for the first time, effects of both mounds and castings. We measured cover of disturbance and individual plant species along twenty 5 m transects in each of four plots with differing species composition. Total plant cover was negatively correlated with mounds and castings. However, only mounds influenced growth-form dominance, reducing graminoid cover and increasing the forb–graminoid ratio — effects attributable to the greater volume and longevity of mounds. Forb-disturbance relationships were variable among plots, likely due to differences in species’ tolerance of burial. Transect-scale richness and heterogeneity (variation in composition within transects) increased with disturbance. We conclude that frequent, small-scale disturbances create a shifting mosaic of vegetation states, reducing graminoid dominance and enhancing species richness and heterogeneity at larger spatial scales.

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The Influence of Pocket Gophers on the Biotic and Abiotic Environment

Cited by 14 publications

References 72 publications

Use of resources by the subterranean rodent Ctenomys mendocinus (Rodentia, Ctenomyidae), in the lowland Monte desert, Argentina

Use of resources by the subterranean rodent Ctenomys mendocinus (Rodentia, Ctenomyidae), in the lowland Monte desert, Argentina

Home‐Range Dynamics in a Solitary Subterranean Rodent

Contributions of gopher mound and casting disturbances to plant community structure in a Cascade Range meadow complex

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