Rangeland Ecol Manage 58:51–57 | January 2005 Vizcacha’s Influence on Vegetation and Soil in a Wetland of Argentina Santiago M. Arias, Rube´n D. Quintana, and Marcela Cagnoni Authors are researchers in the Laboratorio de Ecologı´a Ambiental y Regional, Departamento de Ecologı´a, Gene´tica y Evolucio´n, FCEyN, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabello´n II, C1428 EHA Buenos Aires, Argentina. Abstract We examined the influence of the plains vizcacha (Lagostomus maximus) on the vegetation structure and the characteristics of soil in a wet grassland area of Argentina. This rodent lives in social groups that share a communal burrow system that is occupied for several generations. The areas in which the vizcacha live and feed are strongly affected by grazing, trampling, and soil removal, exhibiting extensive biopedturbation. To evaluate these effects, we carried out a vegetation survey, along areas extending outward from active vizcacheras, analyzing abundance, plant diversity, vegetation cover, and biomass. We also established soil properties, analyzing physical and chemical variables from the center of the colonies to the grassland matrix. Our results show that vizcachas have indeed affected vegetation, diminishing plant cover and grass biomass in their grazing areas. Vegetation in both areas without animal activity and those of intense grazing was dominated by a few characteristic species. We verified the hypothesis of greatest diversity in areas of moderate disturbance. Perturbed areas had higher cation exchange capacity and electric conductivity and higher clay and sodium contents than the other areas. The rodents’ activity introduces a recurrent disturbance factor to the landscape of this region, the outcome of which is the alteration of both the composition and structure of the botanical communities, and some soil properties, scaled in gradients of decreasing effect from the center of a colony to the periphery. Resumen Evaluamos la influencia de la vizcacha (Lagostomus maximus) en la estructura de la vegetacio´ n y las caracterı´sticas del suelo en un pastizal hu´ medo de Argentina. Este roedor vive en grupos sociales compartiendo sistemas de cuevas que pueden estar ocupados durante varias generaciones. Las a´reas bajo influencia directa de las vizcachas son intensamente afectadas por el pastoreo, el pisoteo y la remocio´ n del suelo, exhibiendo una gran biopedopertubacio´ n. A fin de evaluar este efecto, se llevo´ a cabo una caracterizacio´ n de la vegetacio´ n en un gradiente de actividad decreciente, a trave´s del ana´lisis de la abundancia, diversidad especı´fica de la vegetacio´n, cobertura y biomasa vegetal. Al mismo tiempo, las propiedades de los suelos fueron determinadas a trave´s del ana´lisis de variables fı´sicas y quı´micas desde el centro de las colonias hasta la matriz de pastizal. Los resultados muestran que las vizcachas afectaron la vegetacio´ n, produciendo una disminucio´n en la cobertura vegetal y en la biomasa de gramı´neas en el a´rea de alta actividad de pastoreo. Adema´s, tanto la vegetacio´ n de las a´reas sin actividad como las de alta actividad estuvieron dominadas por unas pocas especies caracterı´sticas. Verificamos la hipo´tesis de ma´xima diversidad en las a´reas de disturbio intermedio. Las zonas donde existe biopedoperturbacio´n presentaron una mayor capacidad de intercambio catio´ nico y conductividad ele´ctrica, mayor contenido de Naþ y arcilla respecto a las otras. La actividad de este roedor introduce un factor de disturbio recurrente al paisaje de esta regio´ n, cuyo resultado es la alteracio´ n de tanto la composicio´ n y estructura de las comunidades vegetales y de algunas propiedades del suelo en un gradiente de impacto decreciente desde el centro de las colonias a la periferia. Key Words: biopedturbation, burrowing mammals, disturbance, Parana´ River delta, plant–animal interactions INTRODUCTION species composition of the botanical communities, controlling the flow of nutrients and provoking physical changes in the Disturbance within an ecosystem can modify its functional and environment (Jones et al. 1994; Chapin et al. 1997). The structural properties, producing recognizable patches in the outcome of this interaction is a function of the duration and landscape (White and Picket 1985). Herbivores play a key role intensity of the herbivore activity, the existing species of plants in shaping landscape structure and function by altering the and herbivores, the soil nutrient status, and weather variations (Huntly 1991). Burrowing mammals can cause long-term changes when This research project was financed by grants PICT 4503 from the Agencia Nacional para la Promocio´n Cientı´fica y Tecnolo´gica and TX-904 from Universidad de Buenos Aires they have high population density and occupy the same site for Ciencia y Te´cnica. generations (Lawton 1994; Branch et al. 1999; Whitford and Correspondence: Dr. Santiago Arias, Laboratorio de Ecologı´a Regional. Facultad de Kay 1999), either through direct plant clipping or by burrowing Ciencias Exactas y Waturales, PAB2 Ciudad Universitaria, C1428 EHA, Buenos Aires, (biopedturbation: soil disturbance by animals). Burrowing Argentina. Email: [email protected] causes soil removal and mixing and the addition of feces and Manuscript received 28 February 2003; manuscript accepted 20 August 2004. plant matter, leading to changes in the nutrient availability, RANGELAND ECOLOGY & MANAGEMENT 58(1) January 2005 51 chemical composition, and structure of the soil (Inouye et al. sodic horizon close to the surface (Baumann 1999). The sodic 1987; Malizia et al. 2000), and hydrology (Coppock et al. clays hamper water penetration because they swell when wet, 1983). Because biopedturbation affects different processes in creating a layer that effectively is impermeable (Buol et al. the ecosystem (Coppock et al. 1983; Whicker and Detling 1989). 1988), it must be considered a key factor when analyzing Extensive cattle ranching, hunting of wildlife species for ecosystem function (Whitford and Kay 1999). food and trade, and exploitation of black mesquite trees for As a consequence of soil disturbance, both plant species lumber are the main human activities in this region. abundance and spaciotemporal aspects of the vegetation To assess the effect of vizcachas on vegetation structure and succession are affected (Archer et al. 1987; Inouye et al. soil, we selected 6 active vizcacha colonies, surveying their 1987). Thus, burrowing mammals play a substantial role in activities either by direct observation or by means of their spoors shaping landscape structure (Whicker and Detling 1988; (feces and footprints). To avoid overlap with areas frequented Branch et al. 1996). by vizcachas from other colonies, the studied vizcacheras were The plains vizcacha (Lagostomus maximus) is a rodent located farther than 200 m from each other. This distance herbivore endemic to South America, dwelling primarily in the effectively eliminated overlapping because preliminary obser- semiarid scrub and grasslands from Bolivia and Paraguay to the vations indicated that the individuals of any one colony seldom center of Argentina. Similar in ecology and social behavior to wandered . 50 m from the burrows. At each vizcachera, we black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus; Branch et al. identified 4 concentric areas defined according to their radial 1996), these rodents live in communal burrow systems called distance to the center as a measure for the grazing activities of ‘‘vizcacheras’’ (;10–30 individuals), which are occupied by the rodent: a central area (C), occupied by the vizcachera; several generations (Llanos and Crespo 1952). Each vizcachera a high-activity area (HA, 1–10 m); a medium- to low-activity comprises numerous burrows spaced a few centimeters to area (MLA, 10–50 m); and a no-activity area (NA, . 50 m). several meters apart (Jackson et al. 1996) and typically covering This partitioning was made on the basis of signs observed in an average area of 30 m2. Intensive selective grazing of the the field, such as evidence of digging and dust baths (HA), feces vizcachas in the area surrounding the colonies affects the and footprints (HA and MLA), or lack these signs (NA). Areas botanical communities, resulting in a species change and an showing no activity were considered control plots. increase of bare ground (Giulietti and Jackson 1986; Puig et al. The experimental design was a randomized complete block, 1998; Branch et al. 1999). 6 blocks represented by each vizcachera, and treatments were Although vizcachas are distributed about central and north- the distance to the center of the vizcachera, represented by the ern Argentina, most descriptions of their effects are restricted to 4 areas (C, HA, MLA NA). On each of these areas, we de- arid and semiarid environments (Kufner and Chambouleyron termined plant composition, species abundance, and plant 1993; Branch et al. 1996; Branch et al. 2002). Until now, little cover in 4 quadrats (1 3 1 m), which is the recommended information has been collected on these effects in wet grasslands, area for herbaceous plants (Mueller-Dombois and Ellemberg where agriculture and cattle are the main economic activities. 1974). Each quadrat was randomly placed in each area with the Because of their effect on the environment, vizcacha populations use of the modified Braun–Blanquet abundance–cover scale often come into conflict with these economic activities. (Mueller-Dombois and Ellemberg 1974). Then we harvested The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that 1) vegetal biomass within a quadrat (0.60 3 0.60 m) in each of the vizcacha activities increase spatial heterogeneity at the landscape chosen plots. This plot size was determined from previous level by promoting changes in the soil and vegetation structure, sampling in a similar area (R. Vicari, personal communication). leading to higher diversity; 2) disturbance at moderate levels This biomass was oven dried at 608C to a constant weight and results in greater diversity of vegetation species; and 3) bio- then weighed. For the vegetation sampling, we avoided the area pedturbation by vizcachas alters soil properties.