Gray Ranch

Prairie Dogs in a Shortgrass Ecosystem
Objectives:
  • Describe attributes of vegetation and soils on and off prairie dog towns, e.g., vegetation composition, ground cover, frequency and size of bare soil openings, and height of vegetation.
  • Measure differences in available nitrogen on and off prairie dog towns, i.e., determine the C/N ratio of vegetation and surface soils.
  • Measure rate of colonization of non-colonized areas
  • Determine use of prairie-dog disturbed areas vs other areas in the same pasture
  • Demonstrate integrated methodologies to manage the density and distribution of prairie dogs.
Where: Crowley County, north of the Arkansas River
Soils: sandy loams
Established colony: town center probably about 25 years old
Town size: 400 to 500 acres in this pasture, but total extent may be several hundred additional acres on adjacent private land.
Other towns: adjacent prairie dog towns can be found within 1 to 3 miles on the east, south and west. The town is blocked to the north by a canal.
Population density: unknown at present
Active holes: unknown at present
Present pasture
management:		 pasture has been seasonally deferred and grazed mostly in the winter for at least the past 10 years. The area was formerly winter-grazed by horses, but is now fall and winter grazed by cattle.