This data package contains soil water content data calculated from monthly neutron hydroprobe count measurements made at 15 net primary production (NPP) study locations on Jornada Experimental Range (JER) and Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland Research Center (CDRRC) lands. Once a month, neutron probe measurements are made at 10 depths (where possible) at each of 10 access tubes at each of the 15 NPP sites using a neutron probe (CPN Model 503DR Hydroprobe). The raw dataset, also on EDI (knb-lter-jrn.210013001), consists of the count of thermalized neutrons at 30 cm depth intervals to a maximum depth of 300 cm. In this data package, the raw neutron counts have been adjusted for radioactive decay of the neutron source, then converted to volumetric water content (VWC) to a maximum depth of 270 cm using calibration equations (deepest probe depths are excluded from VWC calculations). The NPP sites these measurements are made at represent the 5 dominant vegetation types of the Jornada Basin, which consist of 3 shrub (creosotebush, mesquite dune, and tarbush) and 2 grass (upland grassland and playa) types. Three NPP sites are located in each of the types. This data collection is ongoing with new data collected monthly.
NOTE: This data package is deprecated and will not be updated in the future. These VWC values were calculated using a now-outdated calibration method. Values of VWC calculated with the improved and fully documented calibration method are available in another EDI data package (knb-lter-jrn.210013003).