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Equids engineer desert water availability

Megafauna play important roles in the biosphere, yet little is known about how they shape dryland ecosystems. We report on an overlooked form of ecosystem engineering by donkeys and horses. In the deserts of North America, digging of ≤2-meter wells to groundwater by feral equids increased the densit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2021-04, Vol.372 (6541), p.491-495
Main Authors: Lundgren, Erick J, Ramp, Daniel, Stromberg, Juliet C, Wu, Jianguo, Nieto, Nathan C, Sluk, Martin, Moeller, Karla T, Wallach, Arian D
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Megafauna play important roles in the biosphere, yet little is known about how they shape dryland ecosystems. We report on an overlooked form of ecosystem engineering by donkeys and horses. In the deserts of North America, digging of ≤2-meter wells to groundwater by feral equids increased the density of water features, reduced distances between waters, and, at times, provided the only water present. Vertebrate richness and activity were higher at equid wells than at adjacent dry sites, and, by mimicking flood disturbance, equid wells became nurseries for riparian trees. Our results suggest that equids, even those that are introduced or feral, are able to buffer water availability, which may increase resilience to ongoing human-caused aridification.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.abd6775