Pocket Gopher Reoccupation Of Burrow Systems Following Population Reduction

The application of rodenticide baits to pocket gopher burrows can quickly reduce gopher density on reforestation units, but the food resources and burrow systems remain intact. This,coupled with the rodent's high reproductive and dispersal potentials, allows for rapid repopulation of treated sites. We monitored 73 pocket gopher activity plots in southern Oregon which had been rendered inactive with toxic baits. The plots promptly returned to active, indicating rapid reoccupation by gophers. Six months after baiting, 86% of plots were reoccupied. By one year post-baiting, 96% of plots were reoccupied. These results demonstrate the potential for rapid population recovery following rodenticide treatment and emphasize the need for an integration of other methods to avert damage to reforestation efforts for the long term. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.