Abstract
ABSTRACT Plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae), burrowing lagomorphs endemic to the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), are considered pests by Chinese authorities because of their association with grasslands that are characterized as degraded. Officials typically blame pikas for causing the degraded conditions, whereas studies increasingly suggest that sparse vegetation encourages population growth and high densities of pikas. Correlational investigations that document pika density while simultaneously describing grassland conditions can quantify this association, but are uninformative regarding causation. We used livestock exclosures and pika reductions in partially controlled experiments to examine how pika habitat use responds to changes in vegetation structure caused by wintertime livestock grazing. Mean counts of pikas were higher on grazed than ungrazed plots. Linear models accounting for experimental pika reduction as well as seasonal phenology indicated that grazing significantly increased pika use compared with ungrazed plots. These results show that moderate livestock density is likely consistent with both biodiversity conservation and economic activity, and that high pika populations alone are not responsible for observed degradation of the QTP alpine grasslands. Moderate levels of livestock grazing and pika presence are consistent with maintaining the integrity of the alpine steppe ecosystem of the QTP.
Highlights
The plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae), a small, burrowing, nonhibernating, social lagomorph (Dobson, Smith, and Wang 1998; Smith 2018; Smith and Wang 1991) and the domesticated livestock of indigenous Tibetan pastoralists are two major drivers of grassland ecosystem processes on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) in western China
Some studies that have attempted to understand the causes of grassland degradation have claimed that pikas are a chief contributor to such degradation, especially when their populations reach high density (Fan et al 1999; Sun et al 2011; Wang, Zheng, and Xiao 2005; Zhao 1998)
During July only, across all years, fewer pikas were observed in plots that had been subjected to pika trapping (x 1⁄4 2:29; standard errors (SE) 1⁄4 0:31) than where no trapping occurred
Summary
The plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae), a small, burrowing, nonhibernating, social lagomorph (Dobson, Smith, and Wang 1998; Smith 2018; Smith and Wang 1991) and the domesticated livestock of indigenous Tibetan pastoralists are two major drivers of grassland ecosystem processes on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) in western China. The pastoralism of domesticated livestock has influenced the grasslands that cover approximately 70 percent of the QTP for approximately 8,000 years (Miehe et al 2009; Miller 1995). These grasslands support a unique flora and fauna (Smith et al in press; Smith and Foggin 1999). Throughout the past few decades, the grasslands of the QTP have been perceived to be increasingly degraded (Fan et al 1999; Foggin 2000; Li et al 2013), yet documentation of the extent and magnitude of grassland degradation is lacking (Harris 2010).
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