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Gopher mounds decrease nutrient cycling rates and increase adjacent vegetation in volcanic primary succession.

Raymond P Yurkewycz1, John G Bishop, Charles M Crisafulli

  • 1School of the Environment, Washington State University, Vancouver, 14204 NE Salmon Creek Avenue, Vancouver, WA, 98686, USA, rpyurk@gmail.com.

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Northern pocket gophers (Thomomys talpoides) significantly impact primary successional ecosystems by increasing soil carbon and nitrogen through plant burial. Their mounds also concentrate resources, aiding vegetation growth at mound edges.

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Soil Science
  • Ecosystem Dynamics

Background:

  • Fossorial mammals can alter nutrient cycling and vegetation in ecosystems.
  • Primary successional ecosystems face limitations in carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) for productivity.
  • Northern pocket gophers (Thomomys talpoides) inhabit and modify landscapes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate the effects of northern pocket gophers on soil nutrients, physical properties, and plant communities.
  • Compare gopher impacts in a primary successional ecosystem to those in more developed systems.
  • Assess long-term impacts 18 years after gopher colonization.

Main Methods:

  • Studied gopher mound distribution and characteristics on Mount St. Helens' eruption surfaces.
  • Quantified soil total carbon (TC) and total nitrogen (TN) in gopher mounds and undisturbed soils.
  • Analyzed plant community metrics (species density, abundance) on and around mounds.
  • Summarized published literature on gopher effects in different successional stages.

Main Results:

  • Gopher mounds covered ~2.5% of the study area with ~328 mounds per hectare.
  • Mounds showed reduced species density but increased plant abundance on margins by 77%.
  • Plant burial in mounds increased soil TC by 13% and TN by 11%.
  • Reduced water infiltration on mounds limited nutrient leaching and CO2 flux.

Conclusions:

  • Gopher mounds accelerate soil carbon accumulation and facilitate vegetation development at edges.
  • Mounds increase small-scale heterogeneity in soils and plant communities.
  • Observed increases in soil C, N, and plant density contrast with findings in later successional systems, likely due to differing physical and microbial conditions.