Range Rehabilitation Enhances Cotton Rats in South Texas

Abstract

During August 1961 in Kleberg County, Texas, cotton rat density was four times greater on areas planted to exotic grasses than on native rangeland, and density was six times greater on rootplowed areas. A regression model using standing crop biomass of herbaceous vegetation and percentage composition of standing crop furnished by sida, bristlegrasses, and sumpweed plus ragweed explained 81.4% of the variation in cotton rat density.