Small Mammal Abundance and Diversity in Relation To Prairie Dog Reintroduction Sites. Summer 2013 Ty Werdel Chadron State College Wildlife Management. Introduction. Prairie Dogs ( Cynomys ) are considered ecosystem engineers and a keystone species Impact abiotic and biotic features - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Small Mammal Population and Diversity in Relation To Prairie Dog Reintroduction SitesSmall Mammal Abundance and Diversity in Relation To Prairie Dog Reintroduction Sites Summer 2013 Ty Werdel Introduction Prairie Dogs (Cynomys) are considered ecosystem engineers and a keystone species Impact abiotic and biotic features Influence environmental heterogeneity, plant succession, hydrology, nutrient cycling, landscape architecture, and biodiversity Introduction Introduction Populations have declined by 90%-98% Range disappearing due to encroachment on habitat and eradication Introduction Implications of Losing an Ecosystem Engineer Many vertebrate species have been shown to depend on prairie dogs for habitat and survival. Result in loss of species diversity in grasslands Endangered or Species of Concern: At least nine species of wildlife depend on prairie dogs, another 20 opportunistically use prairie dog colonies, and an additional 117 wildlife species likely benefit from prairie dog colonies to meet their biological needs. 6 Introduction Utilize prairie dog burrows for dens, shelter, and predator avoidance Species richness, diversity, and abundance has been shown to increase in areas with prairie dogs Certain species are adapted to live in areas with short grass and bare ground. Purpose What is the effect of C. gunnisoni on small mammal species diversity and abundance on Sevilleta NWR? Gunnison’s Prairie Dogs on Sevilleta NWR Refuge Purpose for Reintroduction Native, Eradicated, Reintroduced Establish habitat for the prairie dog and for the many life forms that depend on its system Reintroduction History Methods: Trapping Location and Design 4-16 ha Vegetation Plots Plot C-Control Traps Placed in 9 ha Grid 169 Traps Monday-Friday Data Was Collected Regarding: Species, Sex, Age, Weight, and Measurements Individuals marked Owner (O) - This is a lot of information. Maybe just put that you trapped for 4 consecutive nights, Monday through Friday. And information was collected regarding species, sex, age, weight, and measurements. And put a cute picture of a krat or a picture of you processing mammals. Results: Species Captured Results: Total Small Mammal Individuals Plot Results: Total Small Mammal Individuals P-Value: 0.3168 Not Significant Results: Small Mammal Species/Plot Plot A DIME DIOR DISP NEMI ONAR ONLE PEBO PEMA PGFV SPSP 12 6 1 1 2 3 41 2 B DIME DIOR DISP NEMI ONAR ONLE PEBO PEMA PGFV SPSP 3 5 6 2 8 63 3 C DIME DIOR DISP NEMI ONAR ONLE PEBO PEMA PGFV SPSP 8 9 2 4 1 42 4 D DIME DIOR DISP NEMI ONAR ONLE PEBO PEMA PGFV SPSP 1 20 2 7 61 5 Results: Small Mammal Species/Plot Plot A DIME DIOR DISP NEMI ONAR ONLE PEBO PEMA PGFV SPSP 12 6 1 1 2 3 41 2 B DIME DIOR DISP NEMI ONAR ONLE PEBO PEMA PGFV SPSP 3 5 6 2 8 63 3 C DIME DIOR DISP NEMI ONAR ONLE PEBO PEMA PGFV SPSP 8 9 2 4 1 42 4 D DIME DIOR DISP NEMI ONAR ONLE PEBO PEMA PGFV SPSP 1 20 2 7 61 5 Results: Small Mammal Species/Plot Plot A DIME DIOR DISP NEMI ONAR ONLE PEBO PEMA PGFV SPSP 12 6 1 1 2 3 41 2 B DIME DIOR DISP NEMI ONAR ONLE PEBO PEMA PGFV SPSP 3 5 6 2 8 63 3 C DIME DIOR DISP NEMI ONAR ONLE PEBO PEMA PGFV SPSP 8 9 2 4 1 42 4 D DIME DIOR DISP NEMI ONAR ONLE PEBO PEMA PGFV SPSP 1 20 2 7 61 5 Results: Small Mammal Species/Plot Plot A DIME DIOR DISP NEMI ONAR ONLE PEBO PEMA PGFV SPSP 12 6 1 1 2 3 41 2 B DIME DIOR DISP NEMI ONAR ONLE PEBO PEMA PGFV SPSP 3 5 6 2 8 63 3 C DIME DIOR DISP NEMI ONAR ONLE PEBO PEMA PGFV SPSP 8 9 2 4 1 42 4 D DIME DIOR DISP NEMI ONAR ONLE PEBO PEMA PGFV SPSP 1 20 2 7 61 5 Results: Summary Small Mammal Species Richness Doesn’t seem to be a correlation between species richness and control or treatment sites Small Mammal Abundance No significant difference Seems to be a trend favoring abundance on treatment plots versus control plots Discussion Short term studies may not show significant data Prairie dogs may have a different effect on different grassland types Black-tailed vs. Gunnison’s Only 1 Trapping Period Per Site Season of Trapping Drought vs. Monsoon Low mammal activity Data Not Significant: Less variation between plots REU Students