Wildlife Damage Management, Internet Center for
Date of this Version
October 1981
Abstract
The prairie dog (Cynomys) has been cussed, discussed, protected, exploited, credited with doing many good things and accused of being completely bad. He is at least a controversial Great Plains inhabitant. The prairie dog has been credited with adding significant amounts of organic matter to the soil profile through burrowing, clipping and feces deposition. Really the 35 to 40 pounds of organic matter per acre per year added to the soil profile by prairie dogs is rather insignificant especially when one considers that amount throughout a 5 to 7 foot soil profile and that the organic matter added isn't well distributed.