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Disturbances by desert rodents are more strongly associated with spatial changes in soil texture than woody encroachment

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Abstract

Background and Aims

Soil texture is an important determinant of ecosystem structure and productivity in drylands, and may influence animal foraging and, indirectly, plant community composition.

Methods

We measured the density and composition of surface disturbances (foraging pits) of small, soil-foraging desert vertebrates in shrubland and grasslands, both with coarse- and fine-textured soils. We predicted that the density and functional significance of disturbances would be related more to differences in texture than shrub encroachment.

Results

Soil texture had a stronger influence on animal foraging sites than shrub encroachment. There were more disturbances, greater richness and abundance of trapped seed, and greater richness of germinating plants on coarse- than fine-textured soils. Pits in coarse soils trapped 50 % more litter than those in finer soils. Apart from slightly more soil removal and greater litter capture in shrubland pits, there were no effects of encroachment.

Conclusions

Although the process of woody encroachment has been shown to have marked effects on some ecosystem properties, it is likely to have a more subordinate effect on surface disturbances and therefore their effects on desert plant communities than soil texture. Our results highlight the importance of animal activity in shaping desert plant communities, and potentially, in maintaining or reinforcing shrub dominant processes.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge support from the International Arid Lands Consortium, thank Terry Koen for undertaking the statistical analyses, and Santiago Soliveres, Matthew Bowker and Heather Throop for comments on earlier drafts. Chris Havstad provided office space to DJE while this work was carried out. This is a contribution to the Jornada Long–Term Ecological Research Program.

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Author notes

  1. David J. Eldridge

    Present address: School of BEES, University of NSW, High Street, Kensington, NSW, 2052, Australia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia

    David J. Eldridge

  2. USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range, MSC 3JER, New Mexico State University, PO Box 3003, Las Cruces, NM, 88003, USA

    Walter G. Whitford

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  1. David J. Eldridge
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  2. Walter G. Whitford
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Correspondence to David J. Eldridge.

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Responsible Editor: Jeffrey Walck .

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Eldridge, D.J., Whitford, W.G. Disturbances by desert rodents are more strongly associated with spatial changes in soil texture than woody encroachment. Plant Soil 381, 395–404 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-014-2142-5

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