Vegetation of Prairie Dog Colonies and Non-Colonized Shortgrass Prairie

Abstract

Black-tailed prairie dogs have declined by 98% in the past century. Due to continued declines, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated the species as a candidate for listing in 2000. Prairie dogs foster both plant and animal diversity, and their continued presence is a concern in the Great Plains. We compared vegetation structure and composition of black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus Ord) colonies in southwest Kansas and southeast Colorado to non-colonized grassland in 1996, and 1997. Dominant species on prairie dog colonies were Bouteloua gracilis (H. B. K.) Lag. ex Griffiths (14% cover in 1996, 15% in 1997), Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm. (7% cover in 1996, 17% in 1997) and Aristida purpurea Nutt. (9% cover in 1996, 16% in 1997). Dominant vegetation at randomly selected non-colonized sites were Bouteloua curtipendula (Michx.) Torr. (16% cover in 1996, 18% in 1997), Bouteloua gracilis (13% cover in 1996, 17% in 1997) and Buchloe dactyloides (5% cover in 1996, 5% in 1997). Non-colonized shortgrass sites were dominated by Bouteloua gracilis (23% cover in 1996, 41% in 1997) and Buchloe dactyloides (8% cover in 1996, 12% in 1997). Cover of grass was higher (P 0.05) among treatments either year. While components of the vegetation on prairie dog colonies differed from that found on non-colonized sites, the vegetation of prairie dog colonies was, nonetheless, characteristic of a shortgrass region. Prairie dogs undoubtably alter vegetation structure and composition in shortgrass prairie, and likely have a great influence on landscape heterogeneity, but our results suggest that shortgrass prairie is well adapted to the herbivory and soil disturbing activities of prairie dogs.