Conservation, Environmental Spotlight, Nature, World
The American Pika
Sep
ENVIRONMENTAL SPOTLIGHT
The American Pika
Written and Photographed by Moose Henderson
In architecture, the keystone is the stone at the apex of an arch that supports the structure. Removing this keystone results in instability and loss of structure of the arch. Similarly, a keystone species is an animal or plant that provides essential structure for the ecosystem. Without this single organism, the ecosystem could collapse,
Generally, when we think of a keystone species, we think of wolves, elephants, sharks, and grizzly bears. However, smaller animals are also essential keystone species. Prairie dogs, beavers, and pika are three smaller animals that are also responsible for the health of their ecosystems.
The pika is a resident of high elevation and extremely cold environments. They generally reside on rocky talus slopes above the mountaintop tree line. Although they resemble rodents and are about the size of a guinea pig, they are members of the same group (scientific order) that includes rabbits and hares (Lagomorpha). Pikas are six to nine inches in length and weigh a quarter to three-quarters of a pound. They are herbivores that feed on grasses, forbs, and flowers.
Pika and other members of the rabbit family have a cecum, a part of the intestine used for processing difficult-to-digest plant matter, such as hemicellulose found in grasses. They also re-ingest their fecal pellets, a practice known as cecotrophy. Re-ingestion provides added essential nutrients from previously digested plant matter.
Pikas are active during daylight hours but are very sensitive to elevated temperatures. Conditions above 70 degrees are too extreme for pika, and they are unable to feed at these levels. For this reason, they are an indicator species of climate change and very sensitive to rising global temperatures. Because their ecosystem is within the upper extremes of mountaintops, when temperatures rise, they lose their entire habitat as there are no higher, colder areas to move to. Pika are experiencing dramatic reductions in some areas because of warmer conditions.
As a keystone species, pika serve as prey for birds and other animals that inhabit the upper treeless mountain regions. They provide burrows for other ground-dwelling organisms, and they stockpile grass and other plant matter for winter consumption, as they do not hibernate. At times, this stockpile is essential to other species during winter extremes.
Pikas are not listed as endangered, but the United States Department of Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has made a few applications to have them federally listed. Although USFWS concluded the species is not at risk of extinction, many conservation groups argue pika populations experience losses due to critical changes in the microclimates they inhabit.
Environmental Spotlight
Illuminating the sciences of life and the natural environment.
