As spring begins to turn to summer, a whole new world is blooming in the Arb. This is especially evident throughout the prairies as wildflowers and grasses start to bloom. But there is strong competition amongst the many different species of flowers and grasses for space, and many seeds need some help in order to germinate.
There is a surprising animal which provides the opportunity for many of these plants to thrive in such a crowded environment. That animal is the plains pocket gopher, Geomys bursarius. An unsightly tan-colored gopher reaching up to 13 inches in length, it has short legs with huge feet and long teeth made for digging. Rarely seen above ground, it is identified by the mounds it leaves when it burrows. These mounds are about a foot in diameter and have a distinct shape resembling a horseshoe and can be found throughout the prairies in the Arb.
It is these mounds which are so important to prairie diversity. Prairies are very crowded ecosystems; with so many plants growing there is little room for exposed soil, making it difficult for seed to reach the ground. The pocket gopher mounds turn up and expose much needed soil which the seeds can fall on and germinate. Their feces also add organic materials to the soil. The borrowings of the plains pocket gopher also play a vital role to the ecology of the prairie because they turn over and aerate soil as the gophers tunnel underground. In a surprisingly short time, a community of pocket gophers can till vast amounts of soil in the Arb.
So next time you visit the Arb and see the more than 80 different species of wildflowers and grasses in the prairie, don’t forget the role the pocket gopher, often considered a pest, plays in allowing these plants to bloom.
Thumbnail photo by Nancy Braker ’81.
Add a comment