Digging by Botta's pocket gophers is estimated to aerate the soil to a depth of about , and to be responsible for the creation of Mima mounds up to in height. Populations of the species have been estimated to mine as much as 28 tonnes of soil per hectare per year, much of which is moved below ground, rather than being pushed up into the mounds. The species also has been associated with the deaths of aspen in Arizona and creates patches of bare ground that may limit the establishment of new seedlings.