Drought influences biodiversity in a semi-arid shortgrass prairie in southeastern Colorado

• Published in: Journal of arid environments Vol. 195; p. 104633
• Main Authors: Peterson, Elizabeth K., Jones, Clark D., Sandmeier, Franziska C., Arellano Rivas, Andrea P., Back, Cody A., Canney, Angeline, Fender, Jason, Gomez, Marie, Gorski, Jessica, Heintzelman, Nathan, Healey, Kevin, Kester, Morgan, Klinger, Delania, Liao, Adam, Varian-Ramos, Claire W., Heuvel, Brian Vanden
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2021
• Subjects: Abundance; Biodiversity; Diversity; Ecosystem engineer; Keystone species; Richness; Keystone species; Richness; Abundance; Biodiversity; Ecosystem engineer; Diversity
• ISSN: 0140-1963; 1095-922X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2021.104633

Prairie dogs are a keystone species that provide ecosystem services in endangered grasslands in North America. They have been extirpated throughout their range due to sylvatic plague, habitat fragmentation, lethal control, and drought. There are competing drivers of biodiversity between herbivorous rodents and drought in semi-arid grasslands. Therefore, prairie dogs may be unable to provide the ecosystem services needed for grasslands during periods of drought. We sought to determine the impact of prairie dog herbivory on biodiversity in a semi-arid shortgrass prairie by using a paired design to compare active colonies with extirpated colonies. Abundance, richness, and diversity were measured in vegetation, arthropods, herptiles, birds, and small mammals during a drought year and the following year. We found that drought reduced vegetation and bird abundance, vegetation richness and diversity, and diversity in arthropods and birds. We did not find a difference between colonies and extirpated colonies. Our results indicate that the ecosystem services provided by prairie dogs, e.g., improving biodiversity, did not occur at detectable levels during periods of drought in semi-arid grasslands. Given the sharp decline of prairie dogs, the ecosystem services provided by prairie dogs will continue to plummet as climate change increases the frequency of droughts in the Front Range. •Drought significantly decreased vegetation abundance and richness.•Arthropod diversity was significantly lower during drought years.•Bird abundance and diversity were also significantly lower during drought years.