The objective of this ongoing study is to investigate how pulses of precipitation translate into pulses of plant aboveground net primary productivity (NPP) and how the small mammal community responds to such changes in relation to shrub gradients in northern Chihuahuan Desert landscapes. This dataset consists of rodent mark-recapture data from 4 consecutive night trapping events held annually in three habitat vegetation zones (grassland, ecotone, and shrubland) at three grassland-to-shrubland ecotone sites in the Jornada Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico, USA. Variables include rodent species, sex, reproductive status, weight, and maturity status.