Groundwater Withdrawal: How Will it Affect Small Mammals
Location
Eccles Conference Center
Event Website
http://water.usu.edu/
Start Date
4-2-2009 2:20 PM
End Date
4-2-2009 2:40 PM
Description
For national parks in the arid West, the interaction between human, biological, and hydrological resources is a significant issue. Groundwater pumping is planned by the Southern Nevada Water Authority from valleys adjacent to Great Basin National Park (GRBA). This pumping could reduce or eliminate stream flows in areas susceptible to groundwater withdrawal. I sampled small mammal communities near two susceptible streams and contrasted these with a non-susceptible community. Susceptible small mammal communities were distinct from non-susceptible communities in evenness, similarity indices, and species composition. Small mammal diversity in susceptible areas is a unique park resource maintained by the contrast between xeric uplands and mesic riparian habitats. Increases in xeric adapted small mammals and decreases in riparian dependent species may indicate changes in community structure due to groundwater withdrawal. These results suggest that groundwater pumping may reduce small mammal diversity in park ecosystems through changes in riparian areas.
Groundwater Withdrawal: How Will it Affect Small Mammals
Eccles Conference Center
For national parks in the arid West, the interaction between human, biological, and hydrological resources is a significant issue. Groundwater pumping is planned by the Southern Nevada Water Authority from valleys adjacent to Great Basin National Park (GRBA). This pumping could reduce or eliminate stream flows in areas susceptible to groundwater withdrawal. I sampled small mammal communities near two susceptible streams and contrasted these with a non-susceptible community. Susceptible small mammal communities were distinct from non-susceptible communities in evenness, similarity indices, and species composition. Small mammal diversity in susceptible areas is a unique park resource maintained by the contrast between xeric uplands and mesic riparian habitats. Increases in xeric adapted small mammals and decreases in riparian dependent species may indicate changes in community structure due to groundwater withdrawal. These results suggest that groundwater pumping may reduce small mammal diversity in park ecosystems through changes in riparian areas.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/runoff/2009/AllAbstracts/6