Context dependent effect of an herbivorous subterranean rodent on vegetation in relation to primary productivity

Subterranean rodents could modify the environment becoming keystone species and/or ecosystem engineers. This role may be context dependent if the changes produced shift throughout the species range and are stronger under certain environmental conditions. Our objective was to analyze if the effect of Ctenomys mendocinus on vegetation cover is context dependent, specifically examining variations between areas with different levels of primary productivity. We compared the effect of C. mendocinus on plant cover among four contrasting environments and found that it depended on primary productivity in a predictable manner. In low productivity environments, the rodent significantly reduces vegetation cover, while it has no discernible effect in highly productive ones. These findings suggest that the effect of C. mendocinus on plant cover may be dependent on primary productivity level and highlights the importance of accounting for the underlying environmental factors that influence the intensity of C. mendocinus-plant interaction.