ASSOCIATION OF BLACK-TAILED PRAIRIE DOG COLONIES WITH CATTLE POINT ATTRACTANTS IN THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS

5 Pages·1993·1.8 MB·English

by  Daniel S Licht

GreatBasinNaturalist53(4),pp.3S5--389
ASSOCIATION OF BL\CK-TAILED PR.\IRIE DOG COLONIES WITH
CATTLE POINT ATTFL\CTANTS IN THE NORTHERN GREAT PL.\INS
Daniel S. Licht^-and Kenneth D. Sanchezl-^
—
Abstract. In October 1991 we recorded all black-tailed pntirie dog iCynomys ludovicianus) colonies and cattle
pointattractants in a 124S-km- stud\ areain southwest North Dakotaand southeast Montana. Cattlepointattractants
were definedas fabricatedwatertanks and long-term supplemental feed sites. We found that a significant numberof
prairie dogc-olonies encompassed oradjoinedcattlepoint attractants p < .0011. Prairiedogcolonies associated with
cattlepointattractantswereameandistanceof1.0kmfiom thene.xtnearesttowTi.Theexistenceofcattlepointattrac-
tants ma\ enc-ourageprairie dogcolonization. Conversely, refrainingfrom usinglong-termcattlepointattractantscan
discourageprairiedogcolonization.
Keywords:prairiedogs,cattle,dispersal, management. C>ti :ianus.trampling.
Forage relationships behveen black-tailed Cit>. South Dakota, personal communication)
prairie dogs 'Cynomys ludovicianus and cat- but not statisticalK documented. The priman
)
tle have been described in the literature objecti\e of this stud\ was to document the
(Hansen and Gold 1977. Uresk and Bjugstad correlation between the occurrence ofc-attle
1983. Uresk 1985, Knowles 1986). However a point attractants (i.e., water tanks and supple-
lesser number ofauthors ha\e discussed how mental feed sites' and prairie dog colonies. In
cattle acti\it> can affect the creation and dis- addition, we would analxze the spatial distri-
tribution ofprairie dog colonies. Uresk et al. bution of cattle point attractants and prairie
(1982) reported that black-tailed prairie dogs dogcolonieswithin the studyarea.
were more abundant in areas of southwest
South Dakota thatwere hea\il\ grazed b\ cat- Study .\re.\ a.\d Methods
tle. Koford '1958) stated that black-tailed
prairie dogs inhabit areas where vegetation The 1248-km- study area (38.4 km north-
height was reduced by clipping plants to south b\ 32.0 km east-west) is in Bowman and
ground level. Slope counties in southwest North Dakota
Conversely, other authors demonstrated and Fallon Count> in southeast Montana. The
that increased vegetation height inhibits southeast comer of the study area is located
increases in prairie dog numbers. Snell and 4.8 km south of the town of Rhame. North
Hlavachick 1980) and Snell (1985) reported Dakota(Fig. 1).
that prairie dogs suffered reduced expansion Mean annual precipitation is 40.3 cm. and
aidnnogdg. eCelixinpmcaionntasttiaiooenntcadlau.ne(1bt9oe87si)unmrhmieebpirotr-etddeedfbetyrliramteadpnragarigarezi--e 2pmeerraaCntuiarnnenJsuula)rl.ansTnghoeewffmarleolamnis-g1rI0o0Pw.3iCncgmin.seJMaasenoaunnairs>te1m2t-2o
ment for grasses ofincreased height and den- days.
The study area is located in the Missouri
psiot)r.\t\i'eonoabtseenneudmbwehartoafppperaairreidetdoobge caodliosnpireos- pPolartteiaoun pwhiytshiiongraapphhiycsiroeggiroanp,hiwcitshubthdeivmiasjioonr
encompassing or adjoining cattle watering known as the Badlands Omodt et al. 196.S).
ptahneksnoamndencoatntlehassupbpleeemnentoibislerfeveeddsbityes.otThheisr Tlhainsdsacraepaeisanchdarcalcatyersioizlesd. bG>raasshiyghpll>aienrsoadnedd
researchers Koford 1958, Cincotta 1985. plateaus are interspersed between rugged
Daniel Uresk.i USDA Forest Senice. Rapid buttes. Intermittent drainages form an e.xten-
I>^^'_
231p1pr^ese.enFn.tt.haaddaddnrieedssssW::.IUI.dSlS.i.ieFHSuse*hni^acn*d.«WNiol.rdItldihHffDeeaSSkeeontniac^eS..ta21t8eF0Oe0fdfOeiucretJ.aDBgimeseWm.aar^vdL^RoN^oonr"if^.£^-!^««.^S^>c'™n^«.t^aCC«ahWfconm>u-»9»»2J5
385
386 Great Basin Xatlralist [\blume 53
sive network throughout tliis physiographic leading to the point attractant and the fringe
area. The remainder oftlie study area is with- ofbarren ground sunounding it. Cattle point
in a Missouri Plateau subdivision known as attractants were water tanks or supplemental
the unglaciated area (Omodt et al. 1968). It is feed sites. For purposes of this study, water
characterized b\ gently rolling topograph) tanks are defined as fabricated structures,
more t\pical ofthe Great Plains. usualK made oi metal, concrete, or fiberglass.
Vegetation is typical of mixed-grass and Onl\ supplemental feed sites that had evi-
short-grass prairies. Grasses include western dence of a long-tenu pattern ofuse b\' cattle
wheatgrass (Agropijron smithii), green needle- were included in the analysis.
grass {Stipa viridula), blue grama (Boiiteloua For our study, stock dams and dugouts
gracilis), and needle-and-thread (Stipa were not considered cattle point attractants.
comata). Grasslands comprise about 509^ of Because of their greater surface area, stock
the stud\ area. A shiiib/grass mixture includ- dams and dugouts do not concentrate cattle to
ing sagebrush (Atiemisia sp.), western snow- the degree that water tanks and supplemental
berry {Sytn{)1}()ricarpos occidentalis), and feed stnictures do. In addition, the soil adja-
chokecherr\ {Priinus lirginiana) constitutes cent to stock dams and dugouts is often char-
about 30^ ofthe landscape. Green ash (Fraxi- acterized by a high water table and strong
nus campestris) and Rocky Mountain juniper cla\ content. These characteristics can dis-
ijuniperus scopulonun) are found in woody courage the creation ofprairie dogburrows.
draws and on north-facing slopes, comprising Size ofthe prairie dog colonies was deter-
an additional 10% of the study area. The mined b\ field siu'xe\s using mechanical mea-
remainder ofthe stud\" area consists ofbairen suring wheels and topographic maps. Dis-
areas. tances between prairie dog colonies were
Approximately 24% of the study area measuredwith topographic maps.
occurs on public land, most of which is A chi-square goodness-of-fit analysis was
administered by the U.S. Forest Serxice. The conducted on the number of cattle point
public land is intermixed with pri\ate hold- attractants observed in or adjoining prairie
ings. Cattle grazing occurs throughout the dog colonies \ersus the number expected. A
stud\ area. Grazing s\stems \an from season Mann-Whitney (Mann and Whitney 1947) test
long to deferred or rest-rotation s\stems. was used to compare the size of prairie dog
Stocking rates range from 0.9 to 1.2 ha per colonies with associated cattle point attrac-
animal unit month. tants \ersus colonies without associated cattle
The U.S. Forest Ser\ice controls prairie point attractants.
dogs on public land when prairie dog colonies
expand onto prixate holdings or exceed their Results
allotted acreage for primar\- range within the
management district. Primary range is Fift>-one prairie dog colonies w^ere identi-
defined by the U.S. Forest Senice as "range fied within the studv area, ranging in size
which li\estock naturally prefer, or will use from 0.1 to 112.0 ha (X = 15.4 ha). Total
lirst.' Most landowners zealousK attempt to prairie dog acreage on the study area was
control prairie dogs on their land, the most 784.5 ha, or approximateK" 0.6% of the stud\-
common method being the use of zinc phos- area. Prairie dog colonies were distributed
phide-treated grain. throughout the stud\ area with the exception
On 8 October 1991 we conducted an aerial ofthe extreme northwest corner (Fig. 1).
census of the study area with 3.2-km-wide One hundred four active cattle point
transects from an altitude of 305 m. Two attractants were identified in the stud\' area. A
observers recorded all prairie dog colonies density of 1 cattle point attractant per 12.0
and active cattle point attractants on their km- was obserxed in the 1248-km- stud\' area.
respective side ofthe plane. Prior and subse- Fourteen cattle point attractants were within
quent field suneys indicated the aerial census oradjoiningprairie dog colonies.
recorded all but two prairie dog colonies and A chi-square goodness-of-fit test of the
all catUe point attractants. mmiberofcattle point attractants in oradjoin-
Active cattle point attractants were easily ing prairie dog towns (n = 14) versus the
identified from the air by the network oftrails number expected (prairie dog acreage / stud>'
1993] BL.\c;K-TAiLi:n Piuihik Doc; Colonies
387
R6
: :
388 Gre^\tBaslx Naturujst [\oluine53
Prairie dogs in otir ?tTic?\- ar: \egetation andhigh\isibiht\ are conducive to
have dispersed a e of prairie dog colonization Koford 195S. Uresk
1.0 km before e- _ - et al. 19S2. Cincotta 19S-5i. We believe that
encompassing or .. - - cattlepointattractants can createaniicroen\i-
tants. It is possi': -^nment with these characteristics and facih-
have immigrated r^ - :j.te prairie dog expansion. The creation of
colonies unknown tous. therebylesseningthe cattle point attractants in close proximib. to
actual dispersal d:-' ^^wever. we found prairie dog colonies 0.1—2.6 km may pro-
no eNidenc-e ofsi.^ mote the establishment ofnew colonies. Con-
mean distance disper^: \ersely. we beheve that the estabhshment of
reported -^ -^ ^-.> new prairie dog colonies can be suppressed
immisrat r. aU by refraining from using cattie point attrac-
case- tants. Mo\ing cattle point attractants before a
O condition oflow\egetation develops may also
be^v discourageprairiedogexpansion.
tant> -i-- .:
^ncomD^ssinj ACKNO\\XEDG\!ENTS
"> v\ere csuu,>-
...^ _ :-r subsequent We wish to Aank D. Uresk M. Dr>er. and
jrie dogs. However based r. CoUins for rexiewing the manuscript and
^^^ ofthe D. Johnson and D. Welsh for statistical sug-
- , was the gestions.
case :es.
C
bygr L:t?:? 7. ?E Cited
fore, ixig: Cincotta. R. P. 19S5. Habitat and disi)ersa] ofblack-
'19S.5 re tailed prairie dogs io B^" --''^- v^-—-i' Park.
immisrat- dog Unpublished dissertatic - ersi-
CiNCotr\n.jFLorKtCpo.l-lDin.s.W.52Uprpe.sk..\.vdRM.Hansen. 1987.
Demographyofblack-tailedprairiedogpopulations
ils».5>>i re re<xxup>ing sites treated with rodenticide. Great
was initio::.^ ..._ _. ^._ :.._: BasiDXaturaBst47;.i39-^3.
ed a mesquite tree. The tree was Garret. M.G. 19S2. Prairiedogdispers- lave
NationalPar' ' ^".^"r Uni-
versity'.Ame-
Hansen. R. M.. a^o i k G^:,;. laT' z ^ ' i
prairie dogs, desert c-ottontails an:: _::. :: :. .
relations on shortgrass range. JoumaJ ofRange
between Management;30-.210-213.
tants anc •*113- CUlJ. KnowteS- C.J. 1986. Some relationships ofblack-tailed
not state cause-ar. prairiedogs toh\estock gr^zfr.z. Great Basin Natu-
tionships. ralist46.198-2a3.
watKeorfotradnks19m5a5)x - ' ' V \ MKoafnonr.gdr.aHmaC..EWBi.lvd1lz9i5fSeD.MPorFnaoirgVir.e'aHpj:rh>-.N£ov..3i.c:7^-S7-i.pacpOe.sn. aandtesbtluoef
because ofhigher lorage v^: -jablesisstochastical-
area adjoining the tank Wei.. ...^- b 1 - :,, : ,_. ; ofMathematicalSta-
ihe rim ofthe tank may stimulateas. tistics IS:.50-60.
itinocnrse.asHeowienvfeorr,agienpmroosdutctoif' ^:owpe-: OmodtO,. PH..OWl.s,oGn.. K1.96J8o.hnTshge.^mra—dj.oDr.soDi.lsPo.f^tNtoerrtshonD,aaknod-
observed- the overflow water q . :ned Snellt.a.G.-NorPt.h1D9a8k5o.taReSti^- T- -^!:tr>o.lFoarfgpor.ai6r0ieppd.ogs.
away from the area through siru^ We Rangelands7:-30.
belie%e diat trampled ground ii nore Snell. G. p., .\n—d B. D. Hlw.^chick. 1980. Control of
bs>i'gnpirfaiicrainetdocrsisterion in the selection proc-ess L'BESptraiDr.ieWd.og1s985t.heEfefaes>ctwsao>f.cR-aonngtreollalnidngsb2:la2c3k9--t2ai4l0e.d
It is well d-curnented that areas pMr _ :'1S:p4l6an6t-4p6r8o.duction. Journal ofRange
1^&3] Bi_\CK-T.\iLED Pr.\irie Doc Colomes 389
Lresk. D. \N anx ad. 1&S3. Prairie dogs as ships. Pages 199-201 in Fifth Creal Plains uikflife
ePcaogse>sst9e1m-9r4esm seventhnNeorNtohrt.h\enrinerHiicagnhpPrlaaiirnis.e bdearma1g9Se1.ctjLnntir\o-ler>5*Ti}hrkosfhNoepbprraosckeae,diLinngcsolln-S-15Octo-
conference proceedings. 4-6 August 19S0. South-
Lreskw,esDt.MWi.s,soJu.riG.StMa.t\ecCUrn.iaNcekrEs-iSt>\,kSpsrdinKg.fiJe.ldB-jlgst.xc. RecAeckcexpdt1e2dOIc5t.o\bpredri1999932
19S2.Prairiedogdensit\-andcattlegrazingrelation-