Rangeland Ecology & Management

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SOIL RESPONSES TO PRAIRIE DOG ACTIVITY: OBSERVATIONS ACROSS THREE ECOLOGICAL SITES
Author
Becchetti, Theresa A.
Elmore, Dwayne
Roselle, Lovina
Tolleson, Doug
Johnson, S.L.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2015
Body

Prairie dogs induce changes in soil properties that can potentially affect vegetation composition and structure as well as landscape hydrology. Geographical application of these outcomes across rangeland landscapes, however, is compromised by a lack of studies addressing soil responses to prairie dog activity on multiple soil types. Furthermore, there is limited information on this topic within the eastern edge of the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) domain. To address these information gaps, we sought to quantify prairie dog effects on soil properties for three unique ecological sites differing in soil and landscape attributes. The study was conducted approximately 10 km southeast of McLaughlin, SD, USA on a 1400 ha ranch including both private and leased tribal land. Over a period of two years, soil properties and infiltration rate were evaluated on the ranch within thin claypan, loamy, and shallow loamy ecological sites corresponding to footslope, backslope, and summit/shoulder landscape positions, respectively. Across ecological sites, surface depths (0-20 cm) were most responsive to prairie dog activity, and prairie dog-induced changes to soil properties tended to subside with increased distance from mounds. Prairie dog activity contributed to changes in soil pH, nutrient status, and soil physical condition. Specifically, soil within prairie dog mounds was often acidified, high in available nutrients and soil organic carbon, and possessed greater infiltration rates compared to surrounding soil, thereby creating significant soil heterogeneity within an ecological site. Both landscape-associated and mound-specific soil heterogeneity induced by prairie dogs may complicate rangeland restoration efforts, which are generally applied at large spatial scales. In instances where prairie dogs are extirpated (e.g., epizootic plague), we suggest restoration efforts explicitly consider soil heterogeneity within and across ecological sites.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Conference Name
SRM Sacramento, CA