Prairie dog engineering indirectly affects beetle movement behavior

Previous studies have shown that landscape structure influences animal movement and population structure. In this study, we show an indirect interaction between beetles and prairie dogs due to prairie dog ecosystem engineering. Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni Hollister) towns have more bare ground and are structurally less complex than adjacent unmodified grasslands. This results in bare ground facilitating beetle movement. Differences in landscape structure between prairie dog towns and unmodified grasslands had a significant effect on the movement of the darkling beetle, Eleodes hispilabris Say. Beetle movement tended to be more linear (pathway fractal dimension approached 1) on prairie dog habitats...

Categories: Publication; Types: Citation, Journal Citation; Tags: Arizona, Cynomys gunnisoni, Eleodes hispilabris, High desert grasslands, Journal of Arid Environments, All tags... Landscape ecology, Movement behavior, Petrified Forest National Park, Tenebrionidae, Fewer tags