Title: Energy Relationships of the Mammals of a Desert Shrub (Larrea tridentata) Community
Abstract:A year's study was made of 13 species of mammals in a desert community in southeastern Arizona. Mammal density averaged 17.4/ha: 66% Dipodomys merriami and 10.5% Onychomys torridus. Average biomass wa...A year's study was made of 13 species of mammals in a desert community in southeastern Arizona. Mammal density averaged 17.4/ha: 66% Dipodomys merriami and 10.5% Onychomys torridus. Average biomass was 1130 g/ha: 40% D. merriami and 40% Lepus californicus. Annual energy flow of mammals was 105,950 kcal/ha: 55% by a granivore (D. merriami), 22% by a browser (L. californicus) and 6.5% by an insectivore (O. torridus). 94.6% of the energy flow was spent in maintenance and 5.4% in growth. The secondary productivity of the dominant D. merriami was 1.2% of its energy flow; that of Peromyscus eremicus, the resident species with the lowest and least stable density, was 1.7%. A dominant species may be more important in the cycling of matter in the community, while nondominants may be more important in stabilizing the community and sustaining the higher trophic levels. Since the mammals dissipated only 1.95% of the net annual above ground plant production, their importance must be in their controlling actions on the...Read More
Publication Year: 1970
Publication Date: 1970-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 162
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