Track 2-13: Ecology and Control of Vertebrate and Invertebrate Pests of Grass and Forage
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Publication Date
2013
Location
Sydney, Australia
Description
Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) are considered a keystone species in grassland ecosystems. Through their burrowing activities, they conspicuously alter grassland landscapes and provide foraging, shelter and nesting habitat for a diverse array of grassland species, in addition to serving as prey for the endangered black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes). Due to a combination of factors, the lands currently occupied by prairie dog colonies are thought to represent less than 10% of their historical range. Black-tailed prairie dogs have difficulty colonizing areas with tall and/or dense plant cover. We examine how manipulations of grassland vegetative structure through fire may be used as a potential management tool for prairie dog colony expansion in shortgrass steppe. The occurrence of fire in grassland ecosystems plays a vital role in maintaining the integrity of grasslands by influencing the rate of nutrient turnover, regulating plant communities, reducing woody species, suppressing the growth of fire-intolerant plants and discouraging invasion of non-native species. Knowledge of how the use of prescribed fire frequency and seasonality affect prairie dog colonization is vital for developing and implementing science-based land management strategies in shortgrass steppe.
Citation
Archuleta, Felicia D. and Ford, Paulette L., "Prescribed Fire: A Proposed Management Tool to Facilitate Black-Tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) Colony Expansion" (2013). IGC Proceedings (1985-2023). 3.
(URL: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/22/2-13/3)
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Prescribed Fire: A Proposed Management Tool to Facilitate Black-Tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) Colony Expansion
Sydney, Australia
Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) are considered a keystone species in grassland ecosystems. Through their burrowing activities, they conspicuously alter grassland landscapes and provide foraging, shelter and nesting habitat for a diverse array of grassland species, in addition to serving as prey for the endangered black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes). Due to a combination of factors, the lands currently occupied by prairie dog colonies are thought to represent less than 10% of their historical range. Black-tailed prairie dogs have difficulty colonizing areas with tall and/or dense plant cover. We examine how manipulations of grassland vegetative structure through fire may be used as a potential management tool for prairie dog colony expansion in shortgrass steppe. The occurrence of fire in grassland ecosystems plays a vital role in maintaining the integrity of grasslands by influencing the rate of nutrient turnover, regulating plant communities, reducing woody species, suppressing the growth of fire-intolerant plants and discouraging invasion of non-native species. Knowledge of how the use of prescribed fire frequency and seasonality affect prairie dog colonization is vital for developing and implementing science-based land management strategies in shortgrass steppe.
