OCR Text |
Show Rats Blamed for Spread Of Mesquite in Arizona Desert rats that gather reserve feed, store it in shallow caches, and leave many of these undisturbed, undis-turbed, are practically planters of the stored seed. This is one of the Important causes of the rapid invasion in-vasion of grassy range lands by mesquite shrub. Mesquite, says the U.S. department depart-ment of agriculture, displaces forage grasses and reduces the beef and wool production. In areas in Arizona the number of mesquite shrubs to the acre have increased about 50 per cent in the past 15 years, according to a U.S. forest service report. The Merriam kangaroo rat is a small rodent that lives in the arid areas of the southwest. The mesquite mes-quite is one of its favorite foods. |