A body mass model gives 29% compensation for kangaroo rat exclusion in 44 Portal surveys from June 2021 to January 2026

We tested whether low compensation for kangaroo rat exclusion at Portal continued after January 2020. We used PortalData 6.117.0, four control plots, and five exclosures. We summed 5.69 times body mass to the power 0.75 for each survey. This index estimates energy use. Compensation is the gain by other seed eaters on exclosures, divided by the kangaroo rat index on controls. In 44 complete surveys from June 2021 to January 2026, compensation was 0.287. The 95% interval from time blocks was 0.132 to 0.405. It was -0.018 to 0.547 when we also resampled plots. The total index on exclosures was 0.540 of the control index. Its interval with plots and time resampled was 0.347 to 0.715. The change in compensation since February 2010-January 2020 was 0.073, with a time interval of -0.092 to 0.208. The test therefore did not resolve a recovery. Chaetodipus baileyi supplied 82% of the estimated net gain. Biomass, counts, fixed masses, quality control, seasonal weights, and plot omissions also gave incomplete replacement. We removed 55 exact extra capture copies and preserved an audit. The new surveys extend a published analysis. The result is limited to the observed dates at one site. Gaps, detection, plot differences, and error in the mass model limit interpretation. The package includes raw source files, code, figures, and all results.

biodiversity · community function · species loss · kangaroo rat exclusion · Portal Project · temporal extension · compensation · reproducible ecology