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openCC (other)Dec 2021View details →

Aggregate mesquite litter chemistry following soil-mixing and decomposition in a semi-arid grassland at the Jornada Basin LTER, 2010-2012

This dataset contains litter carbon content, nitrogen content, and associated chemistry data from a litter decomposition experiment at the Jornada Basin LTER in 2010 to 2012. To assess the role of soil-litter mixing (SLM) in aridland litter decomposition, litterbags were deployed in the Chihuahuan Desert and interrelationships between vegetation structure, SLM, and rates of decomposition were quantified. To assess the role of vegetation structure, litterbags were deployed in contrasting vegetation microsites, including grass, shrub, and bare ground microsites. This dataset contains litter chemistry data from the experiment including percent carbon, percent nitrogen, ash corrections, and the carbon to nitrogen ratio of litter in recovered bags. This study is complete.

openCC (other)Dec 2021View details →

Aggregate mesquite litter mass-loss following soil-mixing and decomposition in a semi-arid grassland at the Jornada Basin LTER, 2010-2012

This package contains litter mass loss data from a litter decomposition experiment at the Jornada Basin LTER. To assess the role of soil-litter mixing (SLM) in aridland litter decomposition, litterbags were deployed in the Chihuahuan Desert and interrelationships between vegetation structure, SLM, and rates of decomposition were quantified. To assess the role of vegetation structure, litterbags were deployed in contrasting vegetation microsites, including grass, shrub, and bare ground microsites. This dataset contains the mass-loss data (including ash-corrections) from the experiment. This study is complete.

openCC (other)Jul 2022View details →

Grass exposure, mesquite height, and plant greenness at a Jornada Basin LTER sand-sheet site, July and September 2019

Two large wind storms in March and April, 2019 caused severe erosion and exposed the roots of many grass patches in the wind-erodible "sand sheet" of the Jornada LTER. These data are from these wind-affected areas. Field transect measurements of grass cover (line-point intercept, grass plants with exposed roots (1-m belt transect), grass plants with green shoots (1-m belt transect), mesquite (PRGL) height (maximum height of cord on transect for each individual) for 18 transects in the sandy loam "sand sheet" geomorphic surface of Jornada. Also included are histograms of UAV-based measurements of green chromatic coordinate (GCC) and grass patch size (cm2) for individual grass patches within each 1-m belt transect.

openCC (other)Jun 2025View details →

Jornada Basin and Experimental Range Mesquite Herbicide Project (JERHM) Core Methods Data, 2020-2022

This dataset includes contains line-point intercept, plant height, gap, and species inventory data collected over three years (2020-2022) as part of the Jornada Experimental Range Herbicide Mesquite Project (JERHM). Data were collected to assess plant community composition and structural change to herbicide application across a Black grama (Bouteloua eriopoda) grassland to Honey mesquite (Neltuma glandulosa [=Prosopis glandulosa]) shrubland encroachment gradient. Twenty sets of paired, 5-hectare plots (n=40 plots total) were established across a N. glandulosa encroachment gradient in 2020. One plot within each plot pair received an aerial application of herbicide in 2021, with the second plot left untreated by herbicide as a control. Data were collected annually following the following the Monitoring Manual for Grassland, Shrubland, and Savanna Ecosystems (Herrick et al. 2017) on each of three, 50m permanent transects established on each plot. These data are also available within the Landscape Data Commons (https://landscapedatacommons.org/) under ProjectKey=Jornada_JERHM. There are no immediate plans to continue data collection.

openCC (other)Feb 2020View details →

Soil movement across black grama and mesquite ecotone transects in the Jornada Basin, southern New Mexico, USA, 1933-2011

This package contains data from a study that measured long-term soil movement in areas undergoing mesquite invasion on the Jornada Experimental Range from 1933-2011. Data consist of height measurements of soil on two long-term transects established in the Natural Revegetation Exclosure (NatReveg) in 1933 and an exclosure in Pasture 8b in 1935. In 1933, about half of the NatReveg exclosure was covered with mesquite dunes. Grasses dominated the non-dune portion, but mesquite plants were present. Approximately one-third of the NatReveg site exclosure was sprayed with 2,4,5-T herbicide for mesquite control in 1966-68. Additional herbicide treatments were conducted upon the sprayed portion in 1969-72. The 1731-m NatReveg exclosure transect runs north-south through the center of the exclosure and extends 61 m (200ft) beyond the boundary fence on either end. The 457-m Pasture 8b transect is oriented WSW-ENE and was established in an area where mesquite dunes were large and well established. The predominant soils in this exclosure are deep loamy sands. Soil movement was measured by the distance between the soil surface and a notch in 50 cm T-posts located every 15.2 m (50 ft). Transects were measured in 1950 (8b only), 1955 (8b only), every five years from 1980-2000, and most recently in 2011. Most steel posts were re-measured at these intervals, but some were lost due to excavation or burial. These were replaced with a new baseline notch height initiated on the posts. Data correspond to each year of collection, as well as measures (in cm) of soil deposition or deflation during the intervals. This study is complete. For further information, see: Gibbens, R.P., J.M. Tromble, J.T. Hennessy, and M. Cardenas, 1983. "Soil movement in mesquite dunelands and former grasslands of southern New Mexico from 1933 to 1980." Journal of Range Management 36:145-148.

openCC (other)Oct 2020View details →

Nitrogen and phosphorus content of mesquite tree tissues from four habitats at the Jornada Basin LTER site, 1986

This data package contains data on measured concentrations of nutrients in mesquite tree tissues collected from four habitat types at the Jornada Basin LTER site. These habitat types include: (1)playa, (2)arroyo,(3)dunes, and (4)grassland and samples were collected in conjunction with phenology studies and natural abundance of N15 sampling during 1986. Leaves, stems, flowers, and pods were collected from mesquite sample tissues and individually digested and analyzed for total nitrogen (Kjeldahl) and total phosphorus. This data set consists of the date of collection, collection site, leaf total nitrogen, stem total nitrogen, flower total nitrogen, pod total nitrogen, leaf total phosphorus, stem total phosphorus, flower total phosphorus, and pod total phosphorus. Data from this study was collected in 1986. Further data was collected in 1987, but had differing attributes and is therefore published in a separate data package (knb-lter-jrn.210386009).

openCC (other)Oct 2020View details →

Nitrogen and phosphorus content of mesquite tree tissues from four habitats at the Jornada Basin LTER site, 1987

This data package contains data on measured concentrations of nutrients in mesquite tree tissues collected from four habitat types at the Jornada Basin LTER site. These habitat types include: (1)playa, (2)arroyo,(3)dunes, and (4)grassland and samples were collected in conjunction with phenology studies and natural abundance of N15 sampling during 1987. Leaves, stems, flowers, and pods were collected from mesquite sample tissues and individually digested and analyzed for total nitrogen (Kjeldahl) and total phosphorus. This data set consists of the date of collection, collection site, leaf total nitrogen, stem total nitrogen, flower total nitrogen, pod total nitrogen, leaf total phosphorus, stem total phosphorus, flower total phosphorus, and pod total phosphorus. Data from this study was collected in 1987. Prior data was collected in 1986, but had differing attributes and is therefore published in a separate data package (knb-lter-jrn.210386008).

openCC (other)Nov 2020View details →

Nitrate, ammonium, and water content of mesquite root tube soil from three habitats at the Jornada Basin LTER site, 1987

This data package contains data on measured root tube soil nutrients from soil cores collected under mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa)at three habitat types of the Jornada Experimental Range and New Mexico State University College Ranch. These habitat types include: 1)playa, 2)dunes, and (4)grassland. Soil core samples were collected in 1987 by hand-augering a reference core and a root tube core. Subsamples were analyzed for nitrate, ammonium, and soil moisture contents. This data set consists of the date of collection, collection site, nitrate concentration, ammonium concentration, and percent soil moisture. Collected variables also include treatments (irradiation and nematicide) that are not well-documented at this time. Data collection was completed in 1987.

Surface soil nitrogen analyses under mesquite bush canopies and interspaces at the Jornada Basin LTER, 1986

This data package contains soil nitrogen data for soils collected under, or near, mesquite at the Jornada Basin LTER site (LTER-I and II) in 1986. The purpose of this study was to analyze nitrogen concentration in soils associated with mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa). The mesquite soils were sampled at 4 habitats - playa, coppice dune, arroyo, and grassland. An ecosystem dominated by the non-legume, Larrea tridentata, and lacking mesquite was included as a reference. Samples were taken from two depths (0-15cm, 15-30cm) for three beneath canopy positions (stem base, mid-canopy, and edge of canopy) and one non-vegetated interzone position for each shrub. Four shrubs were sampled at each site. The soils were analyzed for Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN), N03 nitrate, NH4 ammonium. The data set was collected on October 1, 1986 and this study is now complete.

Grassland and mesquite shrubland soil nitrogen mineralization potential from leaching soil incubations at the Jornada Basin LTER, 1986

This data package contains data on soil nitrogen mineralization potential in a variety of grass and mesquite habitats during the early years of the Jornada Basin LTER project (I-II). Soil cores were collected from Jornada Experimental Range and Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland Research Center (CDRRC) lands in May 1986, and observed in a leaching incubation study. The purpose of this study was to measure inorganic soil nitrogen in the context of the shift from grasslands to mesquite dominated ecosystems. Sites include fluff grass (Dasyochloa pulchella), black grama (Bouteloua eriopoda), Sporobolus/Gutierrezia, playa mesquite (Prosopsis glandulosa), and arroyo mesquite ecosystem types. Soil samples were collected on May 12-13, 1986 within the clumps of grass or beneath mesquite at each site, generally 20 cm deep or to the hard pan (whichever came first). During the incubation study, inorganic nitrogen leaching was measured for 28 weeks for each sample. This study is complete.

openCC (other)Oct 2025View details →

Jornada Basin and Experimental Range Mesquite Herbicide Project (JERHM) Connectivity Modifier Data, 2023

This dataset includes plant community composition, plant litter, soil depth, and shrub interspace fetch distance data collected in 2023 as part of the Jornada Experimental Range Herbicide Mesquite Project (JERHM). Data were collected to characterize plant community and ecosystem resource (plant litter, soil depth) responses to the use of Connectivity Modifiers (ConMods), which are used to reduce bare ground connectivity, alongside herbicide application to reduce honey mesquite (Neltuma glandulosa [=Prosopis glandulosa]) encroachment. ConMod and control (rebar-only) arrays were installed on 16 paired, 5-hectare plots, with one plot within each pair randomly selected to receive herbicide treatment in 2021 to reduce N. glandulosa abundance, or left untreated for comparison. Approximately 6 months after herbicide application (spring 2022), 12-unit ConMod and control (rebar-only) arrays were installed on experimental plots within 8 randomly selected N. glandulosa shrub interspaces (n = 8 arrays per plot, 4 per array type). Data were collected in the fall of 2023 at the end of the second growing season following array installation. There are no immediate plans to continue data collection.

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Nematode abundance in soil cores collected beneath mesquite trees in irrigated and non-irrigated plots at the Jornada Basin LTER site, 1988

This data package contains nematode abundance in soils subjected to an irrigation experiment in mesquite coppice dune habitats during the early years of Jornada Basin LTER (LTER-I and II). The purpose of this study was to quantify total nematode abundance, and the abundance of nematode functional groups, in irrigated and non-irrigated (control) soils beneath mesquite plants (Prosopis glandulosa). Soil cores were taken from three depths (0-50cm, 50-100cm, and 100-150cm) then divided into subsamples for nematode investigation. Nematodes were quantified via a semi-automatic elutriator with sugar flotation-sieving and the Baerman Funnel technique. Nematodes were counted and separated into trophic groups: fungal feeders, bacterial feeders, plant parasites, and omnivore-predators. The data collection began in March 1988 and ended in October 1988. This dataset is complete.

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Surface soil analyses from a range of mesquite sites at Jornada Basin LTER, 1986

This data package contains data from a series of analyses of surface soils in mesquite habitats during the early years of Jornada Basin LTER (LTER-I and II). The objective of the study was to determine whether there have been changes in the structure and function of the surface (0-20cm) soil system, the zone most affected by litter decomposition, associated with the rapid movement of mesquite (Prosopsis glandulosa) from historical habitats (arroyo and playa fringe) into recent habitats (grassland and dunes). The mesquite soils were sampled at 4 habitats (playa, coppice dune, arroyo, and grassland) in October 1986, with subsamples analyzed and incubated in the laboratory thereafter. This data set contains analyses for gravimetric soil moisture, pH, phosphate, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, total phosphorus, NO3-N nitrogen mineralization, total inorganic nitrogen, NH4 nitrogen mineralization, organic carbon, inorganic carbon, total roots, tap roots, intermediate roots, and fine roots. This data set is complete.

opencc-zeroFeb 2024View details →

Non-target woody plant responses to broadcast herbicide treatment for mesquite and pricklypear control

Aerial spraying of herbicides is an option for treating undesirable woody species on grasslands and rangelands, but few studies have determined the effects of these products on non-target woody plants important to wildlife. A recently introduced herbicide containing a mixture of clopyralid and aminopyralid ("CA") is thought to be specific to honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) control. Our objective was to document the effects of CA alone and mixed with other brush herbicides, including picloram and triclopyr, on two target species, honey mesquite and pricklypear (Opuntia spp.), and two non-target woody plants, lotebush (Zizyphus obtusifolia) and hackberry (Celtis laevigata var reticulata). Treatments were 1) CA, 2) CA + triclopyr (CA+Tr), 3) CA + picloram (CA+Pc), and 4) clopyralid + triclopyr (Cp+Tr). We applied aerial spray treatments on four, 4-ha replicated plots of mature mesquite thickets that also contained pricklypear in each of 3 consecutive years in north-central Texas and evaluated plots at 1 year and 2 years post-treatment (YPT). We developed a tolerance-rating model with 5 levels (highly tolerant, tolerant, moderately tolerant, moderately susceptible, and susceptible) that integrated stand-level percent whole plant mortality (root-kill) and percent canopy reduction of surviving plants. Mesquite was susceptible to all treatments in all spray years. Pricklypear was susceptible to CA+Pc [root-kill more than doubled (33 to 84%) from 1 to 2 YPT], but highly tolerant of the other treatments. Lotebush was highly tolerant or tolerant of all treatments. Hackberry was tolerant of CA and Cp+Tr but susceptible to CA+Pc. The negative effect of CA+Pc on hackberry was greater when hackberry was drought-stressed. We recommend inspection of drought status, foliage condition, and abundance of non-target woody species prior to broadcast spraying for control of targeted woody species or cacti.

opencc-zeroJul 2024View details →

Data from: Environmental and anthropogenic factors mediating the functional connectivity of the mesquite lizard along the eastern Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt

Functional connectivity, the extent to which a landscape facilitates or impedes the dispersal of individuals across the landscape, is a key factor for the survival of species. Anthropogenic activities such as urbanization, agriculture, and roads, negatively impact functional connectivity of most species, particularly low-vagility species like lizards. Here, we examine how a landscape modified by anthropogenic activities affects the functional connectivity, at both broad and fine scales, of a widely distributed generalist lizard Sceloporus grammicus in the eastern Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, Mexico. We estimated for the first time the species genetic structure, gene flow, and functional connectivity in agricultural and forest zones using genomic data, a comprehensive landscape characterization, and novel methods including gravity models. Our results showed marked genetic differentiation across the study region but also that functional connectivity is maintained for tens of kilometers despite S. grammicus low vagility. Specifically, we found that substrate and air temperature facilitated connectivity over broad and fine scales, respectively, while agricultural cover, relative humidity, and slope were important for connectivity and gene flow. Contrastingly, forest cover and roads favored (broad-scale) and limited (fine-scale) connectivity, likely associated with movement facilitated by small forest patches and with thermoregulation. Altogether, these results support that S. grammicus alternates its thermoregulatory behavior depending on the distance traveled and the habitat environmental conditions, and that it can disperse through relatively modified landscapes, mainly using agricultural zones. The information obtained is crucial to understanding the response of lizards to current anthropogenic pressures and their potential to adapt.

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Thermoregulatory behavior varies with altitude and season in the sceloporine Mesquite lizard.

In ectothermic vertebrates, body temperature is the factor that most affects physiology and behavior. Most ectotherms show limited physiological control of body temperature, so they use behavioral strategies to regulate and maintain a constant temperature within a range. The variation of environmental temperature due to altitude and seasonality could have a great impact on the regulation of body temperature in lizards, even more so in elevation gradients, in which environmental temperature decreases with elevation. We chose three populations of the lizard Sceloporus grammicus that inhabit along an altitudinal gradient at 2500, 3400, and 4100 m and compared some seasonal (spring, summer, and autumn) thermal traits: 1. Body temperature in the field when the lizards were active 2. The relationship between body, air, and substrate temperatures where they were first observed 3. The temperature that they selected in a thermal gradient in laboratory conditions 4. The precision of thermoregulation, the thermal quality of the environment, the effectiveness of thermoregulation, and the Blouin-Demers index 5. The ambient temperatures available during the period of activity (Operative temperature) Thus, our data suggest that the thermal quality of the environment is low at higher altitudes and in summer, while lizards are capable of modifying their body temperature when they are active in the field and the temperature they select in the laboratory due to the effect of altitude and of the season, according to the requirements they have in each part of the year.

opencc-by-4.0Feb 2023View details →

opencc-zeroMay 2023View details →

Sensitivity of different grass functional groups to honey mesquite

Quantifying the relationship of different grass functional groups to increasing woody plant cover is necessary to better understand the effects of woody plant encroachment on grasslands. This study explored biomass production responses of three perennial grass groups based on photosynthetic pathway and potential canopy height (C4 short-grasses, C3 mid-grasses and C4 mid-grasses) to different percent canopy covers of the surrounding deciduous woody legume, honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa). Two methods were used to determine mesquite canopy cover, line-intercept and geospatial analysis of aerial images, and both were used to predict production of the 3 grass groups. Five years of grass production data were included in the mesquite cover/grass production regressions. Two years had extreme grass production responses, one due to drought and the other to high rainfall. Of the 3 remaining years, best-fit curves were negative linear for C4 short-grasses and C3 mid-grasses, and negative sigmoidal for C4 mid-grasses using both cover determination methods, although slopes of the curves differed between cover determination methods. C4 mid-grasses were more sensitive than the other grass groups to increasing mesquite cover. Loss of production potential when mesquite cover increased from 0–35% was 75.5, 28.7 and 23.2% for C4 mid-grasses, C3 mid-grasses and C4 short-grasses, respectively. Moreover, production potential of C4 mid-grasses under no mesquite cover was 3 and 6 times greater than C3 mid-grasses or C4 short-grasses, respectively. Spatial settings of the different grass groups in relation to mesquite tree size and size of intercanopy areas provided indirect evidence that the process of mesquite encroachment in the last 50 to 100 years may have negatively impacted C4 mid-grasses more than the other grass groups. Results suggest that gains in grass production following mesquite treatment would be limited if the system has degraded to where only C3 mid-grasses and C4 short-grasses dominate.