Mechanisms for the keystone status of kangaroo rats: graminivory rather than granivory?. Kerley, G. I. H., Whitford, W. G., & Kay, F. R. Oecologia, 111:422–428, 1997.
Mechanisms for the keystone status of kangaroo rats: graminivory rather than granivory? [link]Paper  doi  abstract   bibtex   
Graminivory by kangaroo rats(Dipodomys spp.) was investigated as a potential mechanism for the keystone role of these rodents in the dynamics of desert grasslands. Experiments confirmed that Ord's kangaroo rats (Dipodomys ordii) cut and consumed a large proportion of the tillers of three Chihuahuan Desert tussock-forming grass species. Field observations indicated that the characteristically cut grass tillers were absent from all-rodent and medium-sized kangaroo rat exclosures, but were frequent in large-sized kangaroo rat exclosures, indicating that the medium-sized kangaroo rats (D. ordii, D. merriami) were responsible for grass cutting. Tiller waste as a percentage of peak standing crop ranged from 7% in grassland habitats to 0.7% in Flourensia cernua shrubland. Of the 13 species of perennial, tussock-forming grasses measured, only one, Muhlenbergia porteri, had no tillers cut by kangaroo rats. This study demonstrates that the keystone role of kangaroo rats in Chihuahuan Desert grassland ecosystems is probably the result of their graminivory.
@article{kerley_mechanisms_1997,
	title = {Mechanisms for the keystone status of kangaroo rats: graminivory rather than granivory?},
	volume = {111},
	url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s004420050254},
	doi = {10.1007/s004420050254},
	abstract = {Graminivory by kangaroo rats(Dipodomys spp.) was investigated as a potential mechanism for the keystone role of these rodents in the dynamics of desert grasslands. Experiments confirmed that Ord's kangaroo rats (Dipodomys ordii) cut and consumed a large proportion of the tillers of three Chihuahuan Desert tussock-forming grass species. Field observations indicated that the characteristically cut grass tillers were absent from all-rodent and medium-sized kangaroo rat exclosures, but were frequent in large-sized kangaroo rat exclosures, indicating that the medium-sized kangaroo rats (D. ordii, D. merriami) were responsible for grass cutting. Tiller waste as a percentage of peak standing crop ranged from 7\% in grassland habitats to 0.7\% in Flourensia cernua shrubland. Of the 13 species of perennial, tussock-forming grasses measured, only one, Muhlenbergia porteri, had no tillers cut by kangaroo rats. This study demonstrates that the keystone role of kangaroo rats in Chihuahuan Desert grassland ecosystems is probably the result of their graminivory.},
	journal = {Oecologia},
	author = {Kerley, Graham I. H. and Whitford, Walter G. and Kay, Fenton R.},
	year = {1997},
	keywords = {LTER-JRN, article, gramnivore, rodent, grass, herbivory, herbivory, grasses, herbivory, rodent, journal, rodent, effect on vegetation, rodent, habitat modification, rodent, rangeland impact},
	pages = {422--428}
}

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