Paper
The Pocket Gopher in Relation to Soil Erosion on Moutain Range
Published Apr 1, 1946 · DOI · L. Ellison
Ecology
90
Citations
5
Influential Citations
Abstract
There is little doubt that the pocket gopher is a pest where he is abundant on cultivated lands. In the irrigated West he has multiplied on foodstuffs provided by agriculture, and has invaded arid territory where, were it not for irrigation, he would not be found (Dixon '22). On wild lands, however, particularly mountain range-watersheds, opinion about the pocket gopher is sharply divided. Some observers, like Grinnell ('23, '33) and Taylor ('35), regard him as a necessary part of nature's economy, believing that he plays an important role in deepening and fertilizing mountain soils and in checking erosion. On the other hand Day ('31), Gabrielson ('38), and Peck ('41) condemn the pocket gopher as a prime cause of accelerated soil erosion on mountain lands. So complete a contradiction indicates a need for additional facts. This paper is a contribution to the ecology of the pocket gopher on subalpine rangeland of the Wasatch Plateau in central Utah.1 The subject matter will be restricted to direct and indirect influences on soil erosion on the range, and will touch upon the ecology of vegetation insofar as obvious relationships between pocket gophers and vegetation relate to soil erosion.
Pocket gophers on subalpine rangeland in central Utah may influence soil erosion, with some claiming they play a necessary role in deepening and fertilizing mountain soils and preventing erosion, while others consider them a prime cause of accelerated soil erosion.
Full text analysis coming soon...