Journal
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
Volume 27, Issue 14, Pages 3693-3706Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s10531-018-1621-z
Keywords
Connectivity; Prairie dog; Urban habitat; Interactive species; Habitat fragmentation; Landscape ecology
Funding
- National Science Foundation
- Abra Prentice Foundation
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Urbanization generates shifts in wildlife communities, with some species increasing their distribution and abundance, while others decline. We used a dataset spanning 15years to assess trends in distribution and habitat dynamics of the black-tailed prairie dog, a highly interactive species, in urban habitat remnants in Denver, CO, USA. Both available habitat and number of prairie dog colonies declined steeply over the course of the study. However, we did observe new colonization events that correlated with habitat connectivity. Destruction of habitat may be slowing, but the rate of decline of prairie dogs apparently remained unaffected. By using our estimated rates of loss of colonies throughout the study, we projected a 40% probability that prairie dogs will be extirpated from this area by 2067, though that probability could range as high as 50% or as low as 20% depending on the rate of urban development (i.e. habitat loss). Prairie dogs may fulfill important ecological roles in urban landscapes, and could persist in the Denver area with appropriate management and habitat protections.
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