Gopherus agassizii (Desert Tortoise). Non-native seed dispersal
Herpetological Review
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Abstract
Sahara Mustard (Brassica tournefortii) is a non-native, highly invasive weed species of southwestern U.S. deserts. Sahara Mustard is a hardy species, which flourishes under many conditions including drought and in both disturbed and undisturbed habitats (West and Nabhan 2002. In B. Tellman [ed.], Invasive Plants: Their Occurrence and Possible Impact on the Central Gulf Coast of Sonora and the Midriff Islands in the Sea of Cortes, pp. 91–111. University of Arizona Press, Tucson). Because of this species’ ability to thrive in these habitats, B. tournefortii has been able to propagate throughout the southwestern United States establishing itself in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah. Unfortunately, naturally disturbed areas created by native species, such as the Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), within these deserts could have facilitated the propagation of B. tournefortii. (Lovich 1998. In R. G. Westbrooks [ed.], Invasive Plants, Changing the Landscape of America: Fact Book, p. 77. Federal Interagency Committee for the Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds [FICMNEW], Washington, DC). However, Desert Tortoises have never been directly observed dispersing Sahara Mustard seeds. Here we present observations of two Desert Tortoises dispersing Sahara Mustard seeds at the interface between the Mojave and Sonoran deserts in California.
Suggested Citation
Ennen, J., Loughran, C.L., Lovich, J.E., 2011, Gopherus agassizii (Desert Tortoise). Non-native seed dispersal: Herpetological Review, v. 42, no. 2, p. 266-267.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Gopherus agassizii (Desert Tortoise). Non-native seed dispersal |
| Series title | Herpetological Review |
| Volume | 42 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Year Published | 2011 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | SSAR |
| Contributing office(s) | Southwest Biological Science Center |
| Description | 2 p. |
| Larger Work Type | Article |
| Larger Work Subtype | Journal Article |
| Larger Work Title | Herpetological Review |
| First page | 266 |
| Last page | 267 |
| Country | United States |