Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Forage Selection And Habitat Architecture As Drivers Of Small Mammal Community Dynamics In An Arid, Nutrient Limited, Highly Stochastic Ecosystem, Jennifer Darby Noble
Forage Selection And Habitat Architecture As Drivers Of Small Mammal Community Dynamics In An Arid, Nutrient Limited, Highly Stochastic Ecosystem, Jennifer Darby Noble
Biology ETDs
In the Northern Chihuahuan desert, grassland and shrubland co-occur as separate stable states under similar climatic conditions. In this bottom up (resource driven) system, the magnitude and timing of precipitation events drives primary production which varies from year to year and season to season. Climate change is predicted to alter precipitation regimes, and increase aridity, facilitating shrub encroachment which results in increased landscape heterogeneity and a decrease in plant biodiversity. These changes will likely result in a restructuring of small mammal communities.
We used long-term data on precipitation, primary production, and abundances of small mammals in adjacent grassland and shrubland …