Summary Information
Pino Gate Prairie Dog Study at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico: Landscape Plot Lizard Data (2001-2002)
Creator: Individual: Ana Davidson Physical Address: Delivery Address: Sevilleta LTER, 167 Castetter Hall, University of New Mexico City: Albuquerque Locality: NM Postal Code: 87131 Phone: US Email: davidson@unm.edu
Creator: Individual: David Lightfoot Physical Address: Delivery Address: Sevilleta LTER, 167 Castetter Hall, University of New Mexico City: Albuquerque Locality: NM Postal Code: 87131 Phone: US Email: dlightfo@unm.edu
Metadata Provider: Individual: Information Manager Sevilleta LTER Physical Address: Delivery Address: 1 University of New Mexico City: Albuquerque Postal Code: 87131 Phone: US Phone: (505) 277-2109 Phone: (505) 277.5355 Email: data-use@sevilleta.unm.edu
Associated Party: Individual: Ana Davidson Physical Address: Delivery Address: Sevilleta LTER, 167 Castetter Hall, University of New Mexico City: Albuquerque Locality: NM Postal Code: 87131 Phone: US Email: davidson@unm.edu Role: field crew
Associated Party: Individual: David Lightfoot Physical Address: Delivery Address: Sevilleta LTER, 167 Castetter Hall, University of New Mexico City: Albuquerque Locality: NM Postal Code: 87131 Phone: US Email: dlightfo@unm.edu Role: field crew
Publication Date:	2016-03-08
Language:	English
Abstract: Keystone species have large impacts on community and ecosystem properties, and create important ecological interactions with other species. Prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) and banner-tailed kangaroo rats (Dipodomys spectabilis) are considered keystone species of grassland ecosystems, and create a mosaic of unique habitats on the landscape. These habitats are known to attract a number of animal species, but little is known about how they affect lizard communities. Our research evaluated the keystone roles of prairie dogs and kangaroo rats on lizards at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in central New Mexico, USA. We evaluated the impacts of these rodents on lizard communities in areas where prairie dogs and kangaroo rats co-occurred compared to areas where each rodent species occurred alone. Our results demonstrate that prairie dogs and kangaroo rats have keystone-level impacts on these lizard communities. Their burrow systems provided important habitats for multiple lizard species, especially the lesser earless lizard (Holbrookia maculata). At the landscape-scale, the total number of lizards was two-times greater on the where both prairie dogs and banner-tailed kangaroo rats co-occurred than where only kangaroo rats occurred.
Keywords: Keyword: disturbance Keyword: populations Keyword Thesaurus: Core Areas
Keywords: Keyword: habitats Keyword: community structure Keyword: surveys Keyword: deserts Keyword: grasslands Keyword: reptiles Keyword: lizards Keyword Thesaurus: LTER Controlled Vocabulary
Additional Information: Additional Information on the personnel associated with the Data Collection / Data Processing Field Crew Member: Julie McIntyre Additional Study Area Information Study Area Name: Pino Gate Study Area Location: The study site was located near the base of the Los Pinos mountains and directly adjacent to the nothern fencline of the SNWR at Pino Gate Elevation: 1600 m Vegetation: Burrograss (Scleropogon brevifolius), sand dropseed (Sporobolus ryptandrus), and black grama (Bouteloua eriopoda) were the dominant vegetation. Soils: Deep clayey loam soils Geology: On an upper bajada slope, in a broad swale Climate: Long-term mean annual precipitation is 243 mm, about 60% of which occurs during the summer. Long-term mean monthly temperatures for January and July are 1.5°C and 25.1°C, respectively. Site history: Historically, prairie dogs were common throughout the area, but were exterminated by the early 1970’s (John Ford, United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services, personal  communication). Gunnison’s prairie dogs began to re-colonize the study site from adjacent private land in 1998. During our study, the colony occurred within a 5 ha area, near the base of the Los  Piños Mountains in an area with deep clayey loam soils. The site has been long inhabited by kangaroo rats, and represents typical northern Chihuahuan Desert grassland. North Coordinate:34.406954South Coordinate:34.406954East Coordinate:106.606269West Coordinate:106.606269
Intellectual Rights: Data Policies This dataset is released to the public and may be freely downloaded. Please keep the designated contact person informed of any plans to use the dataset. Consultation or collaboration with the original investigators is strongly encouraged. Publications and data products that make use of the dataset must include proper acknowledgement of the Sevilleta LTER. A copy of any publications using these data must be supplied to the Sevilleta LTER Information Manager.
Distribution: Online: URL: http://sevdeims-d.lternet.edu/data/sev-173
Coverage: Geographic Goverage: Geographic Description: The study site was located near the base of the Los Pinos mountains and directly adjacent to the nothern fencline of the SNWR at Pino Gate Bounding Coordinates: West Bounding Coordinates: -106.606 East Bounding Coordinates: -106.606 North Bounding Coordinates: 34.407 South Bounding Coordinates: 34.407 Bounding Altitude: Altitude Minimum: 1600 Altitude Maximum: 1600 Altitude Units: meter Temporal Coverage: Date Range: Begin Date: Calendar Date: 2000-05-01 End Date: Calendar Date: 2002-08-01
Maintenance Information: Description: These metadata were obtained from Ana Davidson in a Word File. The data are in an Excel file that accompanies the metadata. -- KLV 1/31/2006
Contact: Position Title: Information Manager Organization: LTER Network Office Physical Address: Delivery Address: UNM Biology Department, MSC03-2020 Delivery Address: 1 University of New Mexico City: Albuquerque Locality: NM Postal Code: 87131-0001 Phone: USA Phone: 505 277-2535 Phone: 505 277-2541 Email: tech-support@lternet.edu URL: http://www.lternet.edu
Contact: Individual: Information Manager Sevilleta LTER Physical Address: Delivery Address: 1 University of New Mexico City: Albuquerque Postal Code: 87131 Phone: US Phone: (505) 277-2109 Phone: (505) 277.5355 Email: data-use@sevilleta.unm.edu
Publisher: Individual: Information Manager Sevilleta LTER Physical Address: Delivery Address: 1 University of New Mexico City: Albuquerque Postal Code: 87131 Phone: US Phone: (505) 277-2109 Phone: (505) 277.5355 Email: data-use@sevilleta.unm.edu
Publication Place:	Sevilleta LTER
Method Step: Description: Sampling Design The landscape-scale plots were 180 m x 180 m. Lizards were visually sampled along strip transect lines established along each gridline of the landscape-scale plots, using a 5 x 5 grid array. Strip transects on the landscape-scale plots measured 1 m x 30 m. Methods & Experimental Design Landscape-scale plots: We compared lizards on plots occupied by: 1) both species (Pdog+Krat plot); 2) only kangaroo rats (Krat plot); and 3) both species, but where prairie dogs inhabited one half of the plot and kangaroo rats inhabited the other half (Transition plot).Field Methods Lizards were sampled by walking slowly along each transect, and individuals were counted and  identified to species. Lizards were always sampled in the morning between 9:00 - 11:00 am. Lizards were sampled throught the springand summer from spring 2000 through late summer 2002.
Data Table: Entity Name: sev173_pdoglizardplot_01312006.txt Entity Description: Data for Landscape Plot Lizard Data at Pino Gate Prairie Dog Study Object Name: sev173_pdoglizardplot_01312006_0.txt Size: 38808 Data Format: Text Format: Number of Header Lines: 1 Record Delimiter: \r\n Attribute Orientation: column Simple Delimited: Field Delimiter: , Distribution: Online: URL: https://pasta.lternet.edu/package/data/eml/knb-lter-sev/173/87394/53c0411ede8407a3faa4099e57284978 Coverage: Temporal Coverage: Date Range: Begin Date: Calendar Date: 2001-10-07 End Date: Calendar Date: 2002-08-19 Attribute List: Attribute Name: PER Attribute Label: PER Attribute Definition: Season and year of collection Storage Type: string Measurement Scale: Nominal: Non Numeric Domain: Enumerated Domain: Code Definition: Code: SYY Definition: summer Code Definition: Code: FYY Definition: fall Attribute Name: DATE Attribute Label: DATE Attribute Definition: Date samples collected Storage Type: date Measurement Scale: Datetime: Format String: MM/DD/YYYY Attribute Name: PLOT Attribute Label: PLOT Attribute Definition: landscape plot on which data was collected Storage Type: string Measurement Scale: Nominal: Non Numeric Domain: Enumerated Domain: Code Definition: Code: PK Definition: prairie dog + kangaroo rat plot Code Definition: Code: T Definition: transition plot Code Definition: Code: K Definition: kangaroo rat plot Attribute Name: TRAN Attribute Label: TRAN Attribute Definition: line transect on which data was collected Storage Type: string Measurement Scale: Nominal: Non Numeric Domain: Text Domain: Definition: line transect on which data was collected Attribute Name: SEC Attribute Label: SEC Attribute Definition: 30 meter section along transect line from which lizards were samples Storage Type: string Measurement Scale: Nominal: Non Numeric Domain: Text Domain: Definition: 30 meter section along transect line from which lizards were samples Attribute Name: SPP Attribute Label: SPP Attribute Definition: species code- first two letters of the species code represent the first two letters from the genus name and the last two letters of the species code represent the the first two letters of the species name Storage Type: string Measurement Scale: Nominal: Non Numeric Domain: Enumerated Domain: Code Definition: Code: CNNE Definition: Cnemidophorus neomexicana Code Definition: Code: CNUN Definition: Cnemidophorus uniparens Code Definition: Code: CRCO Definition: Crotophytus collaris Code Definition: Code: HOMA Definition: Holbrookia maculata Code Definition: Code: PHDO Definition: Phrynosoma douglasii Code Definition: Code: PHMO Definition: Phrynosoma modestum Code Definition: Code: CNSP Definition: Cnemidophorus inornatus and Cnemidophorus neomexicanus Missing Value Code: Code: NONE Code Explanation: missing Attribute Name: CNT Attribute Label: CNT Attribute Definition: number of individuals of a species observed within a section Storage Type: string Measurement Scale: Nominal: Non Numeric Domain: Text Domain: Definition: number of individuals of a species observed within a section