Effects of an 11-year livestock exclosure on rodent and ant numbers in the Chihuahuan Desert, southeastern Arizona
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Authors: E. J. Heske, and M. Campbell
Date: 1991
Journal: Southwestern Naturalist
Volume: 36
Number: 1
Pages: 89-93
Summary of Methods: Heske and Campbell monitored the effects of a livestock exclosure on the abundance of rodent and ant species in the San Simon Valley of southeastern Arizona. The authors set up 11 paired transects within an 11 year grazing exclosure and in the grazed grassland adjacent to the exclosure. Dipodomys (kangaroo rats) and Onychomys (grasshopper mice) species were significantly more abundant inside the exclosure while smaller murids (mice spp.) and ants, were equally abundant in both areas. Vegetation structure showed no significant difference between grazed and ungrazed areas. In terms of rodent abundance and composition, cattle grazing seemed to have a modest effect on the rodent community.
Article Summary / Main Points: None
Vegetation Types:
MLRA Ecoregions:
Agrovoc Control Words: Riparian zones Rangelands Wildlife
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: dipodomys, onychomys, vegetation structure, trampling, grazing effects
Annotation: Study stocking rate and grazing period were not stated.
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