Black-tailed prairie dog status and future conservation planning

TL;DRAbstract

The black-tailed prairie dog is one of five prairie dog species estimated to have once occupied up to 100 million ha or more in North America. The area occupied by black-tailed prairie dogs has declined to approximately 2% of its former range. Conversion of habitat to other land uses and widespread prairie dog eradication efforts combined with sylvatic plague, Yersinia pestis, have caused significant reductions. Although, the species itself is not in imminent jeopardy of extinction, its unique ecosystem is jeopardized by continuing fragmentation and isolation.

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