Pocket gopher (Thomomys talpoides) soil disturbance peaks at mid-elevation and is associated with air temperature, forb cover, and plant diversity
Burrowing mammals can be ecosystem engineers by increasing soil aeration and erosion and altering the structure of plant communities. Studies that characterize the constraints on the distributions of fossorial mammal disturbances to soil can help predict changes in ecosystem engineering under future...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2018-01-01
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| Series: | Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2018.1487659 |
| _version_ | 1818874318467104768 |
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| author | Joshua S. Lynn Samuel Canfield Ross R. Conover Jeremy Keene Jennifer A. Rudgers |
| author_facet | Joshua S. Lynn Samuel Canfield Ross R. Conover Jeremy Keene Jennifer A. Rudgers |
| author_sort | Joshua S. Lynn |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Burrowing mammals can be ecosystem engineers by increasing soil aeration and erosion and altering the structure of plant communities. Studies that characterize the constraints on the distributions of fossorial mammal disturbances to soil can help predict changes in ecosystem engineering under future climates. We quantified the density of soil disturbances caused by Thomomys talpoides (northern pocket gopher) over replicate elevation gradients spanning 2,700–4,000 m a.s.l. in the Upper Gunnison Basin, Colorado, USA. As a conceptual framework for predicting biogeographic variation in soil disturbance, we used the abundant center hypothesis (ACH), which proposes that species abundance declines monotonically away from the most abundant location in its distribution, with the assumption that ecosystem engineering scales with gopher abundance. We also evaluated the relative importance of abiotic and biotic variables as correlates of soil disturbance. Gopher disturbance peaked at mid elevations (~3,150 m), supporting the ACH. The best model for predicting gopher-caused soil disturbance contained both abiotic and biotic variables, with increased soil disturbance where mean annual temperature, forb cover, and plant diversity were greatest. Results suggest that mountain ecosystems may experience increases in gopher-caused soil disturbance as climate warms, possibly accompanied by increases in plant diversity and forb cover. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T13:08:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d843bbba544f4dcab1cd26be6e690593 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1523-0430 1938-4246 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T13:08:42Z |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-d843bbba544f4dcab1cd26be6e6905932022-12-21T20:19:58ZengTaylor & Francis GroupArctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research1523-04301938-42462018-01-0150110.1080/15230430.2018.14876591487659Pocket gopher (Thomomys talpoides) soil disturbance peaks at mid-elevation and is associated with air temperature, forb cover, and plant diversityJoshua S. Lynn0Samuel Canfield1Ross R. Conover2Jeremy Keene3Jennifer A. Rudgers4Rocky Mountain Biological LaboratoryRocky Mountain Biological LaboratoryRocky Mountain Biological LaboratoryGlenville State CollegeRocky Mountain Biological LaboratoryBurrowing mammals can be ecosystem engineers by increasing soil aeration and erosion and altering the structure of plant communities. Studies that characterize the constraints on the distributions of fossorial mammal disturbances to soil can help predict changes in ecosystem engineering under future climates. We quantified the density of soil disturbances caused by Thomomys talpoides (northern pocket gopher) over replicate elevation gradients spanning 2,700–4,000 m a.s.l. in the Upper Gunnison Basin, Colorado, USA. As a conceptual framework for predicting biogeographic variation in soil disturbance, we used the abundant center hypothesis (ACH), which proposes that species abundance declines monotonically away from the most abundant location in its distribution, with the assumption that ecosystem engineering scales with gopher abundance. We also evaluated the relative importance of abiotic and biotic variables as correlates of soil disturbance. Gopher disturbance peaked at mid elevations (~3,150 m), supporting the ACH. The best model for predicting gopher-caused soil disturbance contained both abiotic and biotic variables, with increased soil disturbance where mean annual temperature, forb cover, and plant diversity were greatest. Results suggest that mountain ecosystems may experience increases in gopher-caused soil disturbance as climate warms, possibly accompanied by increases in plant diversity and forb cover.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2018.1487659alpinesubalpineclimate changecolorado rocky mountainsniche/distribution modeling |
| spellingShingle | Joshua S. Lynn Samuel Canfield Ross R. Conover Jeremy Keene Jennifer A. Rudgers Pocket gopher (Thomomys talpoides) soil disturbance peaks at mid-elevation and is associated with air temperature, forb cover, and plant diversity Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research alpine subalpine climate change colorado rocky mountains niche/distribution modeling |
| title | Pocket gopher (Thomomys talpoides) soil disturbance peaks at mid-elevation and is associated with air temperature, forb cover, and plant diversity |
| title_full | Pocket gopher (Thomomys talpoides) soil disturbance peaks at mid-elevation and is associated with air temperature, forb cover, and plant diversity |
| title_fullStr | Pocket gopher (Thomomys talpoides) soil disturbance peaks at mid-elevation and is associated with air temperature, forb cover, and plant diversity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pocket gopher (Thomomys talpoides) soil disturbance peaks at mid-elevation and is associated with air temperature, forb cover, and plant diversity |
| title_short | Pocket gopher (Thomomys talpoides) soil disturbance peaks at mid-elevation and is associated with air temperature, forb cover, and plant diversity |
| title_sort | pocket gopher thomomys talpoides soil disturbance peaks at mid elevation and is associated with air temperature forb cover and plant diversity |
| topic | alpine subalpine climate change colorado rocky mountains niche/distribution modeling |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2018.1487659 |
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