Factors Influencing the Distribution of the Utah Prairie Dog, Cynomys parvidens (Sciuridae)

Collier, G. Donald; Spillett, J. Juan

doi:10.2307/3670432

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Based on our data, contributing factors likely include relatively low flea prevalence in burrows and low prevalence of Y. pestis infections in fleas, coupled with a short season of flea activity and relatively low BTPD density (rarely exceeding 20 individuals/ha). However, limitations associated with the collection of fleas through burrow swabbing in our and other studies (Salkeld and Stapp 2008, Eads, 2017), the imperfect detection of Y. pestis using standard diagnostic tests, and the occurrence of plague epizootics in populations characterized by low prairie dog densities (Collier and Spillett 1975) suggest that other unknown factors may contribute to limiting plague activity in GNP, at the northern range limit of both BTPD and Y. pestis distributions (Maher et al 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 78%

Enzootic maintenance of sylvatic plague in Canada's threatened black‐tailed prairie dog ecosystem

et al. 2020

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Data paucity can seem to hinder science‐based approaches to the conservation of imperiled species. Yet, even individually limited datasets can improve understanding and management of complex ecological systems when carefully integrated. We demonstrate this approach to gain first insights on the transmission ecology of Yersinia pestis in Grasslands National Park (GNP), Canada, where both the bacterium and its rodent host, the nationally threatened black‐tailed prairie dog (BTPD, Cynomys ludovicianus), reach the northern limit of their distribution in North America. Primarily flea‐borne, Y. pestis causes sylvatic plague, a disease of exceptional relevance to both human health and wildlife conservation. We integrated data collected independently by multiple organizations in 2010–2017 across 17 BTPD colonies, where the species co‐occur with Richardson's ground squirrels (RGS, Urocitellus richardsonii). Available data included estimates of BTPD density and occupancy from visual counts and colony mapping; information on flea distribution, abundance, and prevalence of infection with Y. pestis from burrow swabbing, animal combing, and PCR assays; and the response of these variables to deltamethrin application on BTPD colony sections. Our analyses suggest that sylvatic plague in GNP is maintained at an enzootic level (i.e., chronic presence affecting a low proportion of individuals) with no evidence of widespread mortality, at least partially due to reduced flea activity after spring (percentage of prevalence in burrows: April–May = 11.69–33.89%; June–September: 1.75–3.19%), low prevalence of Y. pestis in flea samples (95% CI = 0.42–2.27%), and relatively low BTPD densities. Nonetheless, reducing flea prevalence through insecticide application had a positive effect on BTPD abundance, suggesting that enzootic plague is causing chronic mortality. Because flea prevalence on hosts was higher following drier years and higher on RGS than on BTPD (26.69% vs. 3.27%), insecticide application may be particularly important during dry periods and may need to take RGS and their movements into consideration. Differences between flea communities sampled by burrow swabbing and host combing suggest that plague surveillance should integrate both methods. Effects of projected climate change on vector life cycles, flea community composition, and host–parasite interactions warrant continued monitoring and an adaptive approach to species recovery actions and plague mitigation measures.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 78%

Enzootic maintenance of sylvatic plague in Canada's threatened black‐tailed prairie dog ecosystem

et al. 2020

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“…Like survival, reproduction, too, appeared sensitive to hotter summers with more variable precipitation. The effect of longer, hotter growing seasons on reproduction have been reported to be both positive (Bronson, ) and negative (Collier & Spillett, ). Our results suggest that drought‐like conditions of a long hot growing season with low precipitation could lead to widespread reproductive senescence or failure, with females much less likely to be reproductively active in the years following drought years.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change impacts on the conservation outlook of populations on the poleward periphery of species ranges: A case study of Canadian black‐tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus)

Stephens

Wilson²,

Cassidy³

et al. 2017

Global Change Biology

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Given climate change, species' climatically suitable habitats are increasingly expected to shift poleward. Some imperilled populations towards the poleward edge of their species' range might therefore conceivably benefit from climate change. Interactions between climate and population dynamics may be complex, however, with climate exerting effects both indirectly via influence over food availability and more directly, via effects on physiology and its implications for survival and reproduction. A thorough understanding of these interactions is critical for effective conservation management. We therefore examine the relationship between climate, survival and reproduction in Canadian black-tailed prairie dogs, a threatened keystone species in an imperilled ecosystem at the northern edge of the species' range. Our analyses considered 8 years of annual mark-recapture data (2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012)(2013)(2014) in relation to growing degree days, precipitation, drought status and winter severity, as well as year, sex, age and body mass. Survival was strongly influenced by the interaction of drought and body mass class, and winter temperature severity. Female reproductive status was associated with the interaction of growing degree days and growing season precipitation, with spring precipitation and with winter temperature severity. Results related to body mass suggested that climatic variables exerted their effects via regulation of food availability with potential linked effects of food quality, immunological and behavioural implications, and predation risk. Predictions of future increases in drought conditions in North America's grassland ecosystems have raised concerns for the outlook of Canadian black-tailed prairie dogs. Insights gained from the analyses, however, point to mitigating species management options targeted at decoupling the mechanisms by which climate exerts its negative influence. Our approach highlights the importance of understanding the interaction between climate and population dynamics in peripheralThis is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.

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“…The intraspecific variation in diet composition that we detected underscores the extent of diet breadth that can exist even within localized geographic regions. Although black‐tailed and Utah prairie dogs are not considered to be diet specialists (Collier, 1975; Hansen & Gold, 1977; Hasenyager, 1983), most published studies report that these species consume a relatively small number of plants, limited almost exclusively to native species (Fagerstone & Williams, 1982). In the present study, we found that both black‐tailed and Utah prairie dogs consumed an assortment of graminoids and forbs, as well as a limited number of shrub species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forage preferences in two species of prairie dog (Cynomys parvidens and Cynomus ludovicianus): implications for hibernation and facultative heterothermy

2006

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Several laboratory studies have shown that the ingestion of dietary linoleic (18:2 o6) acid before winter can promote deep and continuous torpor, whereas excess consumption of a-linolenic acid (18:3 o3) can interfere with an animal's ability to reach and maintain low body temperatures during torpor. As mammalian heterotherms obtain linoleic and a-linolenic acid strictly from the diet, diet selection has been proposed as a mechanism that allows hibernators to ingest levels of linoleic and a-linolenic acid that promote favorable torpor patterns. Here diet, dietary nutrient content and patterns of forage preference of a representative hibernator, the Utah prairie dog Cynomys parvidens, and a facultative heterotherm, the black-tailed prairie dog Cynomys ludovicianus, were examined under natural field conditions. Diets of black-tailed (BTPD) and Utah prairie dogs (UTPD) differed across seasons (BTPD F 26,108 = 9.59, Po0.01; UTPD F 38,80 = 3.25, Po0.01) and elevations (BTPD F 26,108 = 20.15, Po0.01; UTPD F 38,80 = 20.51, Po0.01), and forage preference indices indicate that neither species randomly selected plant species relative to their abundance on colonies in any season. Black-tailed prairie dogs did not consume or avoid consumption of plant species based on levels of total lipids, linoleic acid, a-linolenic acid or nitrogen. Considering only the plants consumed, black-tailed prairie dogs appeared to prefer plants with low levels of a-linolenic acid (F 1,19 = 5.81, P= 0.03), but there were no detectable relationships between preference and other nutrients. Utah prairie dogs consumed plants higher in a-linolenic acid (t= 1.98, P= 0.05) and avoided plants high in linoleic acid (t=À2.02, P= 0.04), but consumption-avoidance decisions did not appear to be related to nitrogen or total lipids. Of the plants consumed, Utah prairie dogs again preferred plants high in a-linolenic acid (F 1,17 = 4.62, P= 0.05). Levels of linoleic and a-linolenic acid were positively correlated in plants consumed by prairie dogs (BTPD Pearson r= 0.66, Po0.01; UTPD Pearson r =0.79, Po0.01), reducing the opportunity for independent selection of either lipid.

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Factors Influencing the Distribution of the Utah Prairie Dog, Cynomys parvidens (Sciuridae)

Cited by 7 publications

References 0 publications

Enzootic maintenance of sylvatic plague in Canada's threatened black‐tailed prairie dog ecosystem

Enzootic maintenance of sylvatic plague in Canada's threatened black‐tailed prairie dog ecosystem

Climate change impacts on the conservation outlook of populations on the poleward periphery of species ranges: A case study of Canadian black‐tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus)

Forage preferences in two species of prairie dog (Cynomys parvidens and Cynomus ludovicianus): implications for hibernation and facultative heterothermy

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