Vertical distribution of soil removed by four species of burrowing rodents in disturbed and undisturbed soils

Journal Article · Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1988 · Health Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00004032-198804000-00007· OSTI ID:7242808

Reynolds, T D; Laundre, J W

Burrow volumes were determined in disturbed and undisturbed soils for four species of rodents in southeastern Idaho. Comparisons were made between soil types for the average volume and the proportion of the total volume of soil excavated from 10-cm increments for each species, and the relative number of burrows and proportion of total soil removed from beneath the minimum thickness of soil covers over buried low-level radioactive wastes. Burrows of montane voles (Microtus montanus) and deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) rarely extended below 50 cm and neither volumes nor depths were influenced by soil disturbance. Townsend's ground squirrels (Spermophilus townsendii) had the deepest and most voluminous burrows that, along with Ord's kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ordii) burrows, were more prevalent beneath 50 cm in disturbed soils.

• Research Organization: Department of Energy, Idaho Falls, ID (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7242808
• Journal Information: Health Phys.; (United States), Vol. 54:4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
SOILS
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
IDAHO
LAND POLLUTION
SQUIRRELS
VOLES
ANIMALS
FEDERAL REGION X
MAMMALS
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
NORTH AMERICA
POLLUTION
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RODENTS
USA
VERTEBRATES
WASTES
510300* - Environment
Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)