Kerley and Whitford measured the effects of grazing on the vegetation structure of desert grasslands, and the subsequent effects of vegetation structure changes on populations and seed predation levels of granivorous ants (Pogonomyrmex sp., Solenopsis xyloni, and Pheidole xerophila) and rodents (Dipodomys ordii). Grazing did not decrease plant species richness or diversity but changed the species composition of desert grasslands in a general shift towards a shrub-dominated plant community. Grazing did not affect the presence or seed predation of granivorous species, however, ants populations and seed predation were greater on grassland vegetation types while rodents were greater on creosote (Larrea tridentata) shrubland vegetation types. Therefore, as cattle grazing shifts vegetation towards a more shrub-dominated community, ant populations may decrease while rodent populations increase, indicating that grazing has greater ecological impacts than simply altering plant species composition in the Chihuahuan desert.
Citations and enhanced abstracts for journals articles and documents focused on rangeland ecology and management. RSIS is a collaboration between Montana State University, University of Idaho, and University of Wyoming.