The Influence of Geomys bursarius on the Plant Diversity of an Abandoned Field

Abstract

Geomys bursarius (Plains Pocket Gophers) have been shown to significantly alter the vegetation within their habitat. The purpose of our experiment was to study the short and long term effects pocket gophers have on the diversity of vegetation. The percentage of gopher mounds to total area was 9.82 %. Of those mounds 32.9% were abandoned mounds. The mean number of species on the mound was 6.7, and off the mound was 3.183. The difference in number of species on and off mounds prove to be statistically significant with a p<0.0001. From this evidence we concluded that gopher activity does affect the diversity of plant species in the field by creating unique nutrient rich patches of soil.