Microenvironment but not seed bank distribution affects plant competition on Richardson’s ground squirrel (Urocitellus richardsonii) mounds in Manitoba pastureland

• Main Author: Newediuk, Levi
• Other Authors: Hare, James (Biological Sciences)
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: Disturbance; Seed bank; Plant community; Richardson's ground squirrel
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1993/31921

Microsite disturbances – including mounds created by burrowing mammals – increase local plant community diversity by supporting unique species assemblages. I investigated whether Richardson’s ground squirrel (Urocitellus richardsonii) mounds support unique plant assemblages within five Manitoba prairie pastures, and explored the factors contributing to the plant assemblages documented. Richardson’s ground squirrel mounds supported unique species assemblages relative to bare-ground disturbances with removal of vegetation but no soil disturbance. These detectable shifts in plant community structure on mounds appear to be attributable to mound-specific environmental conditions responsible for delaying vegetative recolonization and facilitating establishment of early-succession species. In contrast, seed bank distribution did not appear to influence species assemblages on mounds. Further investigation into site-specific changes in species distribution on Richardson’s ground squirrel mounds is needed to appreciate the role of these burrowing mammals in pastureland communities. === February 2017