<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml><records><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Whitford, W. G.</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Steinberger, Y.</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Ettershank, George</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Contributions of subterranean termites to the 'economy' of Chihuahuan desert ecosystems</style></title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">JRN</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1982</style></year></dates><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">55</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">298-302</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">We examined the role of subterranean termites in decomposition of cattle dung, various herbaceous plant species and wood in a Chihuahuan desert ecosystem.  From July-September, termites removed dung at a rate of 0.63 g/day-1 accounting for a percent mass loss of 19.5-100%.  During the autumn subterranean termites consumed more than 50% of the leaves of the shrub &lt;i&gt;Larrea tridentata&lt;/i&gt;, the grass &lt;i&gt;Erioneuron pulchellum&lt;/i&gt; and annual plant &lt;i&gt;Lepidium lasiocarpum&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;Baileya multiradiata&lt;/i&gt; but used very little of two other annuals &lt;i&gt;Eriastrum diffusum&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;Eriogonum trichopes.  Yucca&lt;/i&gt; inflorescence stalks on plots with termites lost 23% of their original mass in 30 months while those on termite free soils lost 11%.  Elimination of termites resulted in reduction of fluff grass, &lt;i&gt;Erioneuron pulchellum&lt;/i&gt; biomass, thereby affecting the structure of the ecosystem.</style></abstract><accession-num><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">LTER.1982-92051</style></accession-num></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Whitford, W. G.</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">DePree, Dirk J.</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Hamilton, Patrick</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Ettershank, George</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Foraging ecology of seed-harvesting ants, Pheidole spp in a Chihuahuan Desert ecosystem</style></title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">JRN</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1981</style></year></dates><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">105</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">159-167</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Seasonal activity, factors affecting foraging activity and forage selection were studied in three species of &lt;i&gt;Pheidole&lt;/i&gt; (Hyminoptera: Formicidae) on a watershed in the southern New Mexico Chihuahuan Desert.  &lt;i&gt;Pheidole&lt;/i&gt; spp. exhibited a seasonal pattern in numbers of active colonies with most colonies active in July coincident with onset of summer rains and seed drop by annual plants.  &lt;i&gt;Pheidole militicida&lt;/i&gt; occurred only on the deeper soils of the lower watershed while &lt;i&gt;Ph. rugulosa&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;Ph. xerophila&lt;/i&gt; occurred on the entire watershed.  The three &lt;i&gt;Pheidole &lt;/i&gt;spp. were active only at soil temperatures between 15-35C and were most active at sunrise.  Analysis of factors affecting foraging intensity using a stepwise discriminant function and regression showed evaporation and soil surface temperature to be the strongest influences and seed availability to rank second.  However, the factors included in the analysis accounted for less than 50% of the variance in all three species.  &lt;i&gt;Pheidole militicida&lt;/i&gt; collected mostly forb seeds while &lt;i&gt;Ph. xerophila&lt;/i&gt; utilized primarily grass seeds, especially the seeds of fluff grass &lt;i&gt;Erioneuron pulchellum&lt;/i&gt;.</style></abstract><accession-num><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">LTER.1981-92094</style></accession-num></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Whitford, W. G.</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Bryant, Martha</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Ettershank, George</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Ettershank, Jennifer</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Santos, Perseu F.</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Surface litter breakdown in a Chihuahuan Desert ecosystem</style></title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">JRN</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1980</style></year></dates><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">20</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">243-245</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">In a study of distribution patterns of litter and microarthropods we (Santos et al. 1978) found that microarthropod density was highly correlated with amount of surface litter in a Chihuahuan desert creosotebush community.  Based on that relationship we hypothesized that the rate of litter decomposition would vary directly with the amount of surface litter present.  This paper reports on experiments designed to test that hypothesis and to examine the relationship between quantity of surface litter, microarthropod density and plant growth.</style></abstract><accession-num><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">LTER.1980-92167</style></accession-num></record></records></xml>