Small Mammal Exclosure Study (SMES) Cryptogamic Crust Data from Chihuahuan Desert Grassland and Shrubland at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico (1995-2005)

The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not the activities of small mammals regulate plant community structure, plant species diversity, and spatial vegetation patterns in Chihuahuan Desert shrublands and grasslands. What role if any do indigenous small mammal consumers have in maintaining desertified landscapes in the Chihuahuan Desert? Additionally, how do the effects of small mammals interact with changing climate to affect vegetation patterns over time? This is data for soil surface cover of cryptobiotic (cryptogam) crusts measured on each of the SMES study plots. Cryptobiotic crusts were measured from each of the 36 one-meter2 quadrats twice each year when vegetation was measured. Cryptobiotic crusts include lichens, mosses, algae, brown algae, and cyanobacteria that form crusts on stable soil surfaces.