Alpine grassland degradation intensifies the burrowing behavior of small mammals:evidence for a negative feedback loop  

作　　者：Zaiwei WANG Jiawen YAN Amy MARTIN Dianne HBRUNTON Jiapeng QU Jin-Sheng HE Weihong JI Zhibiao NAN 

机构地区：[1]State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems,College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology,Lanzhou University,Lanzhou,China [2]Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research,Lincoln,New Zealand [3]School of Natural Sciences,Massey University(Albany Campus),Auckland,New Zealand [4]Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota,Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Xining,China [5]Qinghai Haibei National Field Research Station of Alpine Grassland Ecosystem,Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Xining,China [6]Institute of Ecology,College of Urban and Environmental Sciences,and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education,Peking University,Beijing,China

出　　处：《Integrative Zoology》2024年第2期240-252,共13页整合动物学（英文版）

基　　金：supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.32192461).

摘　　要：Globally,grassland degradation is an acute ecological problem.In alpine grassland on the Tibetan Plateau,increased densities of various small mammals in degraded grassland are assumed to intensify the degradation process and these mammals are subject to lethal control.However,whether the negative impact of small mammals is solely a result of population size or also a result of activity and behavior has not been tested.In this study,we use plateau pika as a model to compare population size,core area of colony,and the number of burrow entrances and latrines between lightly and severely degraded grassland.We test whether the alleged contribution of pika to grassland degradation is a result of increased population size or increased burrowing activities of individuals in response to lower food abundance.We found that grassland degradation resulted in lower plant species richness,plant height,and biomass.Furthermore,the overall population size of pika was not significantly affected by location in lightly and severely degraded grassland.However,pika core areas in severely grassland degradation were significantly larger and had significantly higher densities of burrows and latrines.Our study provides convincing evidence that habitat-induced changes in the behavior of small,burrowing mammals,such as pika,can exacerbate grassland degradation.This finding has significant implications for managing small mammals and restoring degraded grassland ecosystems.

关 键 词：burrowing behavior grassland degradation plateau pika population size small mammals 

分 类 号：Q95[生物学—动物学]