Consumption of Primary Production by a Population of Kangaroo Rats (Dipodomys merriami) in the Mojave Desert
Soholt LF. 1973. Consumption of Primary Production by a Population of Kangaroo Rats (Dipodomys merriami) in the Mojave Desert. Ecological Monographs. 43(3):357-376
Kangaroo rats in Indian Cove, Joshua Tree National Monument, are the subjects of this dissertation. The report provides documentation of the food sources and degree of use by kangaroo rats, with the discovery that the rodents eat as many as 95 percent of the Erodium seeds within their range. The large, nutritious seeds of this plant are preferred by kangaroo rats, but with this great a reduction in the seed supply, the next year's plants may be decreased by 30 percent. Although the kangaroo rats might be able to exploit a different food source the following year, food appears to be an important factor limiting population growth. Tables show primary production and caloric content for various plant species, rodent data (food preferences, assimilation efficiencies, energy expenditure), and more.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Soholt, Lars
- Units
- JOTR
- Keywords
- Absence (Biodiversity), Abundance (Biodiversity), Animal Studies, Diet, Distribution (Biodiversity), Herbivores, Indian Cove, Joshua Tree National Park (JOTR), Mammals (Mammalia), Merriam's kangaroo rat (Dipodomys merriami), Mojave Desert, Presence (Biodiversity), Primary Productivity, Rodents, stork's bill (Erodium), Taxa Links To References