Long‐Term Effects of Black‐Tailed Prairie Dogs on Livestock Grazing Distribution and Mass Gain

Abstract

The conservation and management of black‐tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) have been contentious issues in grasslands of central North America for much of the past century, primarily because of the perception that they compete with livestock for forage. Studies quantifying the magnitude of competition between prairie dogs and cattle are difficult to conduct because of the large spatial and long temporal scales needed to quantify how competition varies in response to interannual variation in precipitation and prairie dog abundance. We examined variation in mass gains of yearling steers in shortgrass steppe of northeastern Colorado, USA, with and without prairie dogs from 2008–2019, a period that encompassed a full cycle in prairie dog abundance from a nadir following plague‐induced population collapse, to peak abundance following population recovery, to plague‐induced population lows again. Analyses of cattle grazing distribution with global positioning system (GPS)‐collars revealed preferential grazing on colonies following a period of unusually high vegetation production, and preferential grazing off colonies following a period of rapid vegetation senescence, but these patterns were not clearly related to cattle mass gains. Across all 12 years of the study, average daily mass gain (ADG) during the growing season was 0.97 kg/steer/day in pastures where prairie dogs were controlled annually, and 0.95 kg/steer/day in pastures where they were not. Average daily mass gain was a quadradic function of precipitation and a linear function of prairie dog occupancy within a pasture, with a generalized linear mixed model predicting an 8.0% decrease in ADG as prairie dog occupancy increased from 0 to 60% of a pasture with average growing‐season precipitation. We did not detect a significant interaction between precipitation and prairie dog occupancy, but one limitation of our study is that the only drought year (2012) occurred when prairie dogs occupied low percentages (10–25%) of the study pastures. Prairie dogs had a small but detectable negative effect on cattle mass gains during the growing season in shortgrass steppe. The magnitude of this effect can be used by managers in combination with market conditions and the spatial extent of prairie dog colonies to estimate economic effects of prairie dogs on livestock operations. © 2021 The Wildlife Society. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Grassland type and seasonal effects have a bigger influence on plant functional and taxonomical diversity than prairie dog disturbances in semiarid grasslands

“…This results indicate that environmental variables play a stronger role than grazing and animal disturbances on vegetation in shortgrass-dominant grasslands and is in line with studies in similar ecosystems (Grinath et al, 2019;Jäschke et al, 2020;Török et al, 2018). Moreover, this strong environmental effect on vegetation is in line with a recent study from Augustine and Derner (2021), which suggested prairie dog disturbance did not impact cattle mass gain negatively due to the influence of topography, temporal and soil variability. It is also important to note that prairie dog disturbance had no effects on the CWM height and leaf area, traits that are usually associated with grazing pressure (Blumenthal et al, 2020;Díaz et al, 2006).…”

A big data–model integration approach for predicting epizootics and population recovery in a keystone species

“…Ultimately, the model could be used to support strategic management planning that reduces the volatility of boom‐and‐bust cycles in BTPD. This may help maximize the benefits of this keystone species to associated wildlife communities and ecosystem functioning, while also minimizing costs to the ranching industry (Augustine & Derner, 2021; Crow et al, 2022; Sierra–Corona et al, 2015).…”

“…Extreme fluctuations in colony size and abundance negatively affect grassland ecosystems as plague‐driven crashes result in subsequent declines in species heavily reliant on BTPDs as prey, such as large predatory birds (Duchardt et al, 2022; Seery & Matiatos, 2000), or as creators of critical habitat through their herbivory and burrowing (Augustine & Skagen, 2014; Eads & Biggins, 2015). Conversely, colony expansion can conflict with livestock production as BTPDs compete with cattle for available forage (Augustine & Derner, 2021; Crow et al, 2022), particularly during drier periods (Connell et al, 2019).…”

Disease and weather induce rapid shifts in a rangeland ecosystem mediated by a keystone species (Cynomys ludovicianus)

“…Although research supports the compatibility of managing rangelands for both livestock and biodiversity conservation (Augustine & Derner, 2021; Fuhlendorf et al, 2012; Riginos et al, 2012), the balance is delicate, and made increasingly complex on rangelands occupied by burrowing rodents such as prairie dogs ( Cynomys spp.). As with many burrowing mammals (Davidson et al, 2012), black‐tailed prairie dogs ( Cynomys ludovicianus ; from this point forward “prairie dog”) play an integral role as keystone species within the North American Great Plains.…”

“…Despite their keystone role (Kotliar et al, 1999), prairie dogs are considered a nuisance or noxious species in some states in the USA because of their capacity to compete with livestock for forage, and they are lethally controlled throughout their range (Augustine & Derner, 2021; Derner et al, 2006; Miller et al, 2007; Wyoming Weed and Pest Council, 2019). Due to the combined effects of habitat loss and control efforts that began in the 19th century, prairie dogs currently occupy a small fraction of their historical range (Knowles et al, 2002; Luce, 2003).…”