Authors measured vegetation and rodent and bird populations in prairie dog towns, where prairie dogs maintain patches of lower vegetation height and percent mulch cover. Plant canopy cover was greater outside prairie dog towns in late spring and late summer of the second year. Plant species richness was greater with western wheatgrass and blue grama dominating 24% and 17%, respectively, outside towns, while buffalograss was the dominant species inside prairie dog towns at 34%. Rodent and bird abundance and species richness were higher outside the towns than inside, corresponding to the difference in vegetation (different species prefer different degrees of percent mulch cover and plant height).
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