If you drive through a grassland, it may seem quiet at first – until you come across a colony of prairie dogs.
“As soon as you do, the life of the prairie is there,” said Ana Davidson, a research scientist with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program based at Colorado State University.
Prairie dogs dig complex underground burrows to hide from predators, but many more creatures, including insects and owls, adopt these chambers for shelter in an otherwise exposed landscape. Prairie dogs also serve as the main food source for endangered black-footed ferrets.
North American grasslands were once full of biodiversity, teeming with bison, pronghorn and deer. They were likened to the Serengeti of the continent.
But prairie dog populations have greatly declined since the early 20th century, due to factors such as agricultural development, poisoning by humans and disease. The greater ecosystem diminished alongside them; more than 60% of the biome has vanished, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey.
Yet, some areas of the Mountain West could play a key role in conserving grasslands and their vital yappy ground squirrels.
Davidson and her team, which included scientists from Arizona and Idaho, set out to identify the best spots for conserving black-tailed prairie dogs, found across the Great Plains and West.
So, they mapped locations with remaining intact native grasslands that could serve as habitat. But they also wanted to know where human conflict might be an issue, as prairie dog colonies can be seen as a nuisance to farmers and developers who sometimes resort to exterminating them.
Davidson said the team analyzed various areas and considered questions such as whether there are oil and gas reserves, wind farms, or roadways.
The study, published in the journal Diversity and Distributions earlier this year, found that while much of the eastern grasslands have been largely cleared for agriculture, the western regions still hold potential.
“The western part of the black tailed prairie dog range remains relatively intact,” said Davidson. “With a lot of conservation potential for the prairie dog ecosystem, as well as grassland species in general.”
The team identified priority areas for prairie dog conservation in less-developed parts of eastern Montana and Wyoming, southeastern Colorado and northern New Mexico.
Davidson believes the findings could influence how states and nonprofit organizations allocate conservation resources. She is working with other researchers to secure funding for prairie dog initiatives in these high-potential areas.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
