The areal extent of prairie dog towns in Wind Cave National Park (WCNP) has increased at an alarming rate in the past 20 years. An inventory method was needed to replace the time and labor intensive ground survey method, i.e. rod and transit. Color infrared (CIR) aerial photography (1,370 m above ground) provided a useful product for rapidly and accurately delineating prairie dog towns. Extent was determined by measurements on the CIR film to be 608 ha or 5.3% of the total WCNP area. Ground measurements, taken near the time of the aircraft overflight, included general vegetation description of each prairie dog town and a vegetation sampling from 0.25 m2 plot on a stratified, random basis. The ground data helped explain and identify the variations recorded on the CIR film. Soil and topographic information were used with the CIR film to determine likely expansion potential and probable direction of growth of the 11 major prairie dog towns in WCNP. The prairie dog town inventory and expansion potential of each town has probable usefulness in the development of management plans. This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information. Migrated from OJS platform August 2020
Scholarly peer-reviewed articles published by the Society for Range Management. Access articles on a rolling-window basis from vol. 1, 1948 up to 5 years from the current year. Formerly Journal of Range Management (JRM). More recent content is available by subscription from SRM.