AR-News: (U.S.) prairie dogs vs. cattle

[Mary Finelli]

Study Shows Prairie Dogs Take A Big Pasture Bite
Cow-Calf Weekly, July 2, 2004


A new study finds that 75% of forage removed from prairie dog towns in 
cattle pastures is by prairie dogs, and 25% is due to cattle, reports the 
Rapid City Journal. Writer Steve Miller reports South Dakota State 
University (SDSU) researchers also found cattle removed twice as much forage 
per acre from sites without prairie dog towns as they removed from sites 
with prairie dog towns.

The article says that, while the study affirms common rancher perceptions, 
it's the first scientific study to distinguish the forage disappearance 
caused by prairie dogs vs. cattle. The study on mixed-grass prairie 
rangelands was conducted in conjunction with Sinte Gleska University in 
Rosebud, SD. The researchers collected vegetation samples from three sites 
near Rosebud in June and July 2002 and 2003.

Pat Johnson, SDSU professor of animal and range sciences, says the findings 
highlight the need for ranchers to take the presence of prairie dogs into 
account when calculating grazing capacity, as cattle and prairie dogs have 
similar diets, which consist mostly of grasses. But, prairie dogs not only 
eat the forage but clip the vegetation to better watch for predators, she 
says.

To read the entire article, go to 
www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2004/07/01/news/agnews/top/news01.txt

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