Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Causes and Rates of Mortality of Swift Foxes in Western Kansas
Study Area
We studied populations of swift foxes on 2 259-km2 study areas in
Sherman and Wallace counties in western Kansas. Each study area represented
a different land use and predominant habitat. The landscape of 1 area was highly
fragmented into cropland fields (hereafter, Cropland Area) and the other was
largely contiguous native grassland, primarily pasture (hereafter, Rangeland
Area). The Cropland Area was relatively flat, with approximately 76% of the
area in cultivated fields, primarily a dryland winter wheat-fallow rotation,
but included corn, milo, sunflowers, and sorghum. Ten percent of the area was
enrolled in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Conservation Reserve Program
and seeded primarily to big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), Indian grass
(Sorghastrum nutans), and switch grass (Panicum virgatum). The
area had 125 km of roads and 20 occupied homes. The Rangeland Area was generally
rolling hills; approximately 87% of the area was moderately to heavily grazed
pastures, with a few cropland fields interspersed. The area had 66 km of roads
and 10 occupied homes.
Both study areas had few (<1% of landscape) trees. The average annual
precipitation was 46.2 cm, occurring primarily in spring and summer; however,
there is typically wide variation in annual precipitation. Temperatures were
typical of continental climates, with January coldest (
=
-2.6°C) and July warmest (=
23.1°C; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 1996, 1997).
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