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Structural changes in vegetation coincident with annual grass invasion negatively impacts sprint velocity of small vertebrates

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Abstract

Sagebrush ecosystems in the intermountain west of the United States are being threatened by conversion to the non-native grass, cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum). The dramatic shift in the physical structure of vegetation coincident with cheatgrass invasion likely has negative impacts on animal communities, yet these structural impacts have not been well-studied. In a previous study, dense cheatgrass stems reduced sprint velocity for the flattened, wide-bodied desert horned lizard (Phrynosoma platyrhinos). Here, we asked if a decrease in sprint velocity due to cheatgrass impediment can be generalized to the suite of small vertebrates inhabiting the sagebrush ecosystems of western Utah. We evaluated sprint performance of the common rodent (n = 3) and lizard (n = 4) species on two raceway types, cheatgrass and no-cheatgrass, and hypothesized that body size, body shape, and form of movement are important factors influencing sprint velocity through dense cheatgrass stems. All species showed significant reductions in speed on cheatgrass versus no-cheatgrass raceways, with percent reduction greatest for larger, wider, or hop** organisms compared to smaller, more slender, or running organisms. Of concern, surveys for rodents and lizards at our study areas support a common pattern: lower abundances of small vertebrates, as well as a loss of rodent species richness, in areas infested with cheatgrass compared to intact, native sagebrush communities. By extension, we expect a negative impact on animal communities in other semi-arid regions experiencing dramatic shifts in vegetation structure upon invasion by non-native grasses that are capable of forming dense stands in the interspaces of native desert plants [e.g., Sonoran desert invaded by buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare)].

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Acknowledgments

We thank E. Rickart at the Utah Museum of Natural History for allowing access to preserved specimens. We thank E. W. Evans, M. Pendergast, B. Sessions, A. Walker, J. Walker for help capturing lizards. We thank E. W. Schupp for providing lodging, warehouse space, and tools at the Tintic Research Station in Tintic, Utah, USA. S. Roberts and W. Longland provided friendly reviews of this manuscript. We thank three anonymous reviewers for improving this manuscript. Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the US government.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ecology Center, Utah State University, 5205 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT, 84322-5205, USA

    J. P. Rieder, T. A. S. Newbold & S. M. Ostoja

  2. Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Watershed Stewardship, Colorado State University, 1472 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1472, USA

    J. P. Rieder

  3. Mojave Desert Network, National Park Service Inventory & Monitoring Program, 601 Nevada Highway, Boulder City, NV, 89005-2426, USA

    T. A. S. Newbold

  4. United States Geological Survey (USGS), Western Ecological Research Center, Yosemite Field Station, 5083 Foresta Road, El Portal, CA, 95318-0700, USA

    S. M. Ostoja

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  1. J. P. Rieder
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Rieder, J.P., Newbold, T.A.S. & Ostoja, S.M. Structural changes in vegetation coincident with annual grass invasion negatively impacts sprint velocity of small vertebrates. Biol Invasions 12, 2429–2439 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-009-9653-7

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