Western folklore says that prairie dogs and cattle compete for grass. However, a cattle-exclusion study found that the prairie dog population increased in plots where there were cattle compared to the prairie dog population in plots where cattle were excluded. The authors say the two species have a synergistic impact on the grassland habitat. Read more in the journal Ecology.

A 2007 paper in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment said that prairie dog populations over a certain level would reduce weight gain in cattle grazing in the area. You can read a Denver Post newspaper article onthe study here.