A 2-year experimental manipulation of rainfall was conducted in grasslands dominated by black grama on the Jornada Experimental Range from 2007-2009. The objective was to understand the interaction of precipitation on ANPP legacies. Rain-out shelters were used to create 5 levels of precipitation: -80% and -50% reduced, ambient control, and +50% and +80% increased PPT. At each plot, both volumetric soil water content and soil water content were monitored at short (0-5 cm) and deep (30-50 cm) depths. This data set contains the date of collection, block number, plot number, precipitation treatment, depth of soil probe, voltage, and volumetric water content. This study was complete in November 2009.
For further information and results, see:
Throop, H., L. G. Reichmann, O. Sala, and S. Archer. 2012. Response of dominant grass and shrub species to water manipulation: an ecophysical basis for shrub invasion in a Chihuahuan desert grassland. Oecologia 169: 373-383.