Community- and landscape-level responses of reptiles and small mammals to feral-horse grazing in the Great Basin

Published source details Beever E.A. & Brussard P.F. (2004) Community- and landscape-level responses of reptiles and small mammals to feral-horse grazing in the Great Basin. Journal of Arid Environments, 59.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Remove or control invasive or problematic herbivores and seed eaters Action Link

Remove or control invasive or problematic herbivores and seed eaters

A site comparison study in 1998 in seven sites of sagebrush steppe in the Great Basin, USA (Beever & Brussard 2004) found that sites where feral horses Equus caballus had been removed had more lizard and snake species but similar abundances compared to grazed sites. Sites where horses had been removed had higher species richness (5 species/site) compared to sites with feral horses (2 species/site), but similar total abundance of individuals (horses removed: 11 individuals/site; horses present: 5 individuals/site). In addition, authors reported that the percentage of expected reptile species (% of those historically present) was similar for sites with and without horse removal. Ten horse-removed and nine horse-occupied plots (135 x 135 m) were chosen that had no recent fires (<15 years); were unused by cattle for at least 20 years; and were dominated by sagebrush (Artemisia tridentala). Only low elevation sites were included in analysis for reptiles (5 horse occupied plots; 6 horse removed plots across 7 sites). Horses were removed 10–14 years prior to the study. Sightings of reptiles within and adjacent to (≤20 m) a trapping grid (established for small mammal trapping) were recorded during May–August 1998.

(Summarised by: Maggie Watson, William Morgan)