Removal of artesian wells in Great Sand Dunes National Park and its aftermath on small mammals, plant cover, and area disturbance by ungulates
Garza SJ, Wilson KR, Bowser G. 2015. Removal of artesian wells in Great Sand Dunes National Park and its aftermath on small mammals, plant cover, and area disturbance by ungulates. Park Science. 32(1):57-64
Originally developed for livestock, artesian wells in the San Luis Valley of south-central Colorado have been a stable source of water for cattle and wildlife for more than 100 years. In 2010 the National Park Service capped the wells within the borders of Great Sand Dunes National Park to restore the area to its natural state; concurrently, the park was interested in understanding changes to local biodiversity after well closure. We studied changes to smallmammal population dynamics, plant cover, and area disturbance by ungulates following capping of these wells by comparing species density and survival at capped wells, open well sites (i.e., wells with water), and control sites (i.e., no wells present). Six small-mammal species were captured (1,150 individuals), but only Ord’s kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ordii) and pocket mouse species (Perognathus sp.) had sufficient captures to estimate parameters. In general, there was little difference in these species’ density and survival among well types. Plant cover and level of disturbance by ungulates best predicted density for the kangaroo rat and pocket mouse, while year of study influenced survival of both species. There was no difference in native plant cover at different well sites, but open well sites had significantly higher levels of disturbance. Our results suggest that in the short term, small-mammal population dynamics have changed little after well capping for the most common small-mammal species.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Garza, Sarah; Wilson, Kenneth; Bowser, Gillian
- Units
- GRSA
- Keywords
- artesian well, density, Great Sand Dunes National Park, mark-recapture, small mammals, survival