The vegetation colonizing small animal disturbances in tallgrass prairie were surveyed.

What is it about?

Plant species associated with ant (Formica) hills, badger Taxidea taxus mounds, pocket gopher Geomys bursarius mounds, prairie vole Microtus ochrogaster burrow systems and bison wallow were examined on a tallgrass prairie in NE Kansas. Vegetation growing on disturbed sites was a function of both type of disturbance and the surrounding vegetation. Annuals were an important component of the flora on some disturbances, eg badger mounds, but on other sites, eg pocket gopher mounds and ant hills, common perennial prairie species were more abundant.

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Why is it important?

Animal disturbances increase heterogeneity and patchiness of grasslands enhancing biodiversity by allowing more species to coexist.