Cullom Simpson
Sul Ross State University
Graduate Research Assistant, M.S. Thesis Canidate
Influence of Prairie Dog Colonies on Vegetation and Cattle movement in the Marathon Basin
I was raised outside of Boerne, Texas on a small property where I developed my love for the outdoors exploring small creeks and learning to hunt white-tailed deer. This passion for all things outdoors has carried me through undergraduate school and into graduate school. My masters project is examining how prairie dog colonies influence vegetation and cattle movement in the Marathon basin of Texas. Black-tailed prairie dogs once flourished throughout Texas where they played a major role in maintaining the ecological stability of grasslands. Prairie dogs are often referred to as engineers of grasslands and are important to keeping the diversity of the Chihuahuan Desert. Unfortunately, prairie dogs now only occupy portions of their historic range. To examine prairie dog influence on vegetation and cattle movement, 25 Hereford cows have been collared with GPS collars programmed to taking points every 30 minutes. Vegetation is sampled by species and analyzed for nutrition content differences on and off the prairie dog colony after each rotation through one of three pastures. Collar data will be analyzed to determine if cattle are selecting for prairie dog colony at certain times of year. Understanding this relationship between prairie dogs, cattle and vegetation will help managers make management decisions in the Marathon Basin.
