Desmond looked at the effects of cattle and black-tailed prairie dogs on the abundance of birds in the Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico. Overall, birds were more abundant on private lands with prairie dog colonies than on Ejido lands or private grasslands without prairie dogs. Avian abundance also showed a negative relationship with the amount of cow dung found in each site. The author related the amount of cow dung to the amount of grazing in an area. Desmond urges that proper grazing management be implemented and hopes to recover this area's wide range of wildlife habitats in order to create a biosphere reserve.
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.