Animal burrow presence patterns and local shrub density in Central California Deserts

Abstract

Abstract Background Ecological resource availability is crucial for the survival of local desert animal communities. Landscape resources such as shrubs and burrows provide several mechanisms that can benefit associating animal species typically through reducing harsh abiotic factors. Since many of these shrubs act as foundational species within desert ecosystems, understanding how these resources, along with those created by local vertebrate species, can provide key insights into habitat utilization. Here, we test to see if there is an association between the presence of burrows created by local desert species and the total density of foundational shrubs, across various Central California deserts. This was tested through a combination of burrow field surveys and satellite imagery. All data was combined to determine if there is a relationship between both resources for desert vertebrate species. Results We found that there were significantly more burrows associated with foundational shrub species across Central California deserts and that shrub density positively predicts the presence of burrows. In several of the tested ecosystems, increasing shrub densities positively predicted higher probabilities of burrow presence. Conclusions The existence of two highly utilized desert resources, and the relationship between them, signals that areas abundant in both resources can positively impact local animal species.