Social complexity in plateau pikas, Ochotona curzoniae

Smith, Andrew T.; Dobson, F. Stephen

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.11.014

Cited by 9 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…As is generally the case in Tibetan rangelands (Feng et al, 2019; Dong et al, 2020), at all sites the range has degraded in the last four decades in association with increasing numbers of plateau pika (Zhang et al, 2016; but see Harris, 2010). The plateau pika is a widespread, small, and highly social mammalian herbivore (Smith & Dobson, 2022) that favors relatively low‐growing forbs such as Taraxacum macrocarpum , Potentilla fragarioides , and Saussurea nigrescens , but sometimes consumes graminoids (Liu et al, 2008; Dai et al, 2012). Raptors ( Accipiter spp.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Embedding trait‐based ecology within indigenous knowledge to advance sustainable management of Tibetan rangeland

Niu

Suonan

Badingqiuying

et al. 2022

Applied Vegetation Science

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Questions: Traditional pastoralists attribute high numbers of plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae) to impoverished soils that favor more and better forage for pika, suggesting a bottom-up control of pika density. Conversely, government policies focus on excessive numbers of this small mammalian herbivore as the primary top-down cause of degradation in Tibetan rangeland. Despite concerted campaigns to reduce pika abundance in recent decades, the sustainability of Tibetan rangelands remains uncertain.Location: Alpine meadows on the Tibetan Plateau. Methods:We proposed a conceptual model based on indigenous knowledge that predicted pika numbers from soil condition and plant traits. At three alpine meadow sites lightly grazed by livestock, we tested whether spatial variation in pika burrow density could be explained by changes in the functional composition of the plant community attributable to species turnover and intraspecific trait variation associated with changes in soil fertility.Results: Due primarily to intraspecific trait variation, changes in the functional composition of the meadow community accounted for 56%-68% of the spatial variation in pika density, changes in the proportion of plant functional groups for 62%-74%, and changes in edaphic conditions for 71%-82%. Greater pika density was associated with a decline in soil phosphorus availability and a lower-growing vegetation profile enriched in both the quantity and quality of forage preferred by pikas. Conclusions:These results, which are in accord with indigenous knowledge, suggest that compensating soil phosphorus losses and maintaining a well-calibrated grazing rotation can better manage pika populations and improve the sustainability of Tibetan rangelands. By combining trait-based ecology and traditional knowledge, our study provides new insight into both understanding the dynamic complexity of grazing regimes and managing rangeland sustainability.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Embedding trait‐based ecology within indigenous knowledge to advance sustainable management of Tibetan rangeland

Niu

Suonan

Badingqiuying

et al. 2022

Applied Vegetation Science

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“…Density was expressed as number of individuals/ha. Mating system may affect reproduction (Smith and Dobson 2022), but our focus was on protein effect on the population; thus, we compared the reproductive output of different supplemental protein treatments by estimating the total number of recruits and recruitment rates. Recruits were defined as the number of individuals born in the current year.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Protein availability on Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau meadows determines density and life-history characteristics of plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae)

Shang

Chen

et al. 2023

Journal of Mammalogy

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Plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae) play a keystone role in the alpine meadow ecosystem on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP). For decades, alpine meadows on the QTP have suffered from severe degradation, predominantly due to livestock grazing and frequent dramatic increases in plateau pikas. The cause has long been thought to be that livestock grazing provides open habitats for pikas. However, open habitats with low food nutrient quality are insufficient to maintain high-density populations. Feeding facilitation is a process or action undertaken by one species whose activity benefits another species. However, the facilitative effects on population consequences remain unclear. Here, we examined the impact of feeding facilitation on the population dynamics of plateau pikas. We hypothesize that the high protein amount provided by meadows that have been overgrazed would be an important factor leading to dramatic increases in plateau pikas. We found that plateau pikas preferred high-protein foods, and relatively abundant high-protein food resources were found in meadows following high levels of livestock grazing. Body mass and amount of protein in stomach digesta of pikas were higher in moderately and heavily grazed meadows than in lightly grazed meadow. Thus, pika population density was associated with high-protein food resources. A supplemental protein experiment confirmed that high-protein foods led to higher pika population density by increasing reproductive performance. Livestock grazing increased the abundance of plateau pikas by shifting plant nutrient contents toward higher protein conditions favorable to them. Feeding facilitation is an important factor that causes a dramatic increase in plateau pikas.

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“…2013) and occupies relatively stable territory on open habitats (Wei et al. 2020a; Smith & Dobson 2022). The main predators of pika included alpine weasel ( Mustela altaica ), Asia polecat ( M. eversmanni ), and upland buzzard ( Buteo hemilasius ) (Yin et al.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Plateau pika is an endemic small burrowing mammal on QTP and is considered to be a keystone species of alpine grassland ecosystem due to its critical role in maintaining grassland ecosystem biodiversity (Smith & Marc 1999;Wei et al 2019). This social, small mammal lives in family groups (Qu et al 2013) and occupies relatively stable territory on open habitats (Wei et al 2020a;Smith & Dobson 2022). The main predators of pika included alpine weasel (Mustela altaica), Asia polecat (M. eversmanni), and upland buzzard (Buteo hemilasius) (Yin et al 2017).…”

Section: Study Sites and Animalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alpine grassland degradation intensifies the burrowing behavior of small mammals: evidence for a negative feedback loop

et al. 2023

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Globally, grassland degradation is an acute ecological problem. In alpine grassland on the Tibetan Plateau, increased densities of various small mammals in degraded grassland are assumed to intensify the degradation process and these mammals are subject to lethal control. However, whether the negative impact of small mammals is solely a result of population size or also a result of activity and behavior has not been tested. In this study, we use plateau pika as a model to compare population size, core area of colony, and the number of burrow entrances and latrines between lightly and severely degraded grassland. We test whether the alleged contribution of pika to grassland degradation is a result of increased population size or increased burrowing activities of individuals in response to lower food abundance. We found that grassland degradation resulted in lower plant species richness, plant height, and biomass. Furthermore, the overall population size of pika was not significantly affected by location in lightly and severely degraded grassland. However, pika core areas in severely grassland degradation were significantly larger and had significantly higher densities of burrows and latrines. Our study provides convincing evidence that habitat‐induced changes in the behavior of small, burrowing mammals, such as pika, can exacerbate grassland degradation. This finding has significant implications for managing small mammals and restoring degraded grassland ecosystems.

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Social complexity in plateau pikas, Ochotona curzoniae

Cited by 9 publications

References 56 publications

Embedding trait‐based ecology within indigenous knowledge to advance sustainable management of Tibetan rangeland

Embedding trait‐based ecology within indigenous knowledge to advance sustainable management of Tibetan rangeland

Protein availability on Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau meadows determines density and life-history characteristics of plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae)

Alpine grassland degradation intensifies the burrowing behavior of small mammals: evidence for a negative feedback loop

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