Species composition and cover of spring annual plant communities on banner-tailed kangaroo rat (Dipodomys spectabilis) mounds in a northern Chihuahuan Desert grassland differed from those on intermound areas. After seasons of adequate precipitation, cover of annual plants was greater on mounds than on adjacent areas; dominant species on mounds were those known to increase with nitrogen fertilization. Soil nitrogen content was consistently higher on mound soils than in intermound soils; however, plant cover on mounds was not different from intermound areas following periods of limited precipitation despite differences in nitrogen levels. Patterns of species composition and cover of annual plants on kangaroo rat mounds are attributed to differential species responses to water and nutrient availabilities.