Behavioral Ecology and Population Biology of prairie Dogs

摘要 PI：Hoogland提案编号：9628887 因为它们从根本上改变了植被，是许多掠食者的主要食物，草原犬鼠是北美西部生态系统的重要成员。 然而，射杀、投毒和对栖息地的破坏使草原土拨鼠的数量急剧减少，有两个物种面临灭绝的威胁。 保护草原土拨鼠所需的信息将来自拟议的研究。 在某些草原土拨鼠种群中，母亲有时会杀死其他母亲未断奶的后代。 这种灭绝有时会导致多达22%的新生儿被消灭。 将对几个草原土拨鼠种群进行研究。 草原犬群在淋巴腺斑爆发后崩溃。 关于这一重要死亡来源的信息将来自于对1995年被噬菌斑破坏的菌落的跟踪。

ABSTRACT PI: Hoogland Proposal Number: 9628887 Because they radically modify the vegetation and are the primary food for numerous predators, prairie dogs are important members of the ecosystem of Western North America. However, shooting, poisoning, and destruction of habitat have drastically reduced prairie dog populations, and two species are threatened with extinction. Information necessary for the conservation of prairie dogs will result from the proposed research. In certain prairie dog populations, mothers sometimes kill the unweaned offspring of other mothers. Such infanticide sometimes accounts for the elimination of as many as 22% of all Litters born. Research to investigate infanticide will be conducted with several prairie dog populations. Prairie dog colonies crash after outbreaks of bubonic plaque. Information on this important source of mortality will result from tracking of colonies that were ravaged by plaque in 1995.