Data Package Metadata   View Summary

Environmental context, microbial diversity, and microbial relative abundance data for biological soil crusts at four locations in the Chihuahuan desert near the Jornada Basin LTER site, 2020

General Information
Data Package:
Local Identifier:knb-lter-jrn.210549001.5
Title:Environmental context, microbial diversity, and microbial relative abundance data for biological soil crusts at four locations in the Chihuahuan desert near the Jornada Basin LTER site, 2020
Alternate Identifier:DOI PLACE HOLDER
Abstract:

This dataset contains environmental and microbial diversity data relating to biological soil crusts collected at four locations in the Chihuahuan Desert. This study aims to 1) assess the carbon fixation capacity of biocrust types under varying incubation times; 2) assess biocrust nitrogen fixation capacity; 3) understand microbial community composition as well as biomass differences within these biocrust types; and 4) identify how geographic location and soil properties can explain differences seen in carbon fixation and microbial diversity. In order to characterize the ecology and microbial diversity of biocrust types at a range of Chihuahuan Desert sites, vegetation and soil data was collected along with soil crust samples at 4 sites in southern New Mexico, USA: the Jornada Experimental Range (near T-West), the A-Mountain BLM site, the Volcanic BLM site, and White Sands Missile Range. Data and sample collection occurred between May and July of 2020, and the soil crust types of interest were light cyanobacterial, dark cyanobacterial, Peltula lichen, Clavascidium lichen, and moss crusts (n=5 samples for each type). After collection, crust samples were sequenced, targeting the 16S rRNA gene region for bacteria. This dataset includes the environmental context data, including vegetation cover (measured by the line-point intercept method) and soil chemistry data, as well as mean relative abundance for cyanobacterial species and phospholipid fatty acid analyses (PLFA) of crust samples for the purpose of comparing microbial biomass, biodiversity and functional type differences between different biocrust types at the four sites. Soil metagenomic data is hosted at the NCBI Sequence Read Archive, and links to those data are provided in an inventory file. This study is complete.

Short Name:chihuahuan_crusts_env_microbialdiv
Publication Date:2023-04-02
Language:English
For more information:
Visit: https://jrn.lternet.edu
Visit: DOI PLACE HOLDER

Time Period
Begin:
2020-05-01
End:
2020-07-31

People and Organizations
Contact:Information Manager (Jornada Basin LTER) [  email ]
Creator:Hoellrich, Mikaela (New Mexico State University)
Creator:Pietrasiak, Nicole (New Mexico State University)
Associate:De Ley, Paul (New Mexico State University, associate)
Associate:Dominguez, Andrew (New Mexico State University, associate)

Data Entities
Data Table Name:
Data inventory table and NCBI links
Description:
Data inventory with links to NCBI accession numbers
Data Table Name:
LPI data
Description:
Line point intercept data from four Chihuahuan desert communities where biological soil crusts were collected for this study.
Data Table Name:
Soil chemistry data
Description:
Soil chemistry data sampled from 4 Chihuahan desert sites
Data Table Name:
Cyanobacterial abundance data
Description:
Cyanobacterial abundance data sampled from 4 Chihuahan desert sites
Data Table Name:
PLFA biomass data
Description:
Microbial biomass data derived from phospholipid fatty acid analysis at 4 Chihuahan desert sampling sites
Data Table Name:
Cover and species codes
Description:
Taxonomic codes for plants, soil crusts, and cover types used in the dataset, with links to USDA Plants codes when applicable
Detailed Metadata

Data Entities


Data Table

Data:https://pasta-s.lternet.edu/package/data/eml/knb-lter-jrn/210549001/5/fcedc0c59920e750a6ced2bdb42e54a8
Name:Data inventory table and NCBI links
Description:Data inventory with links to NCBI accession numbers
Number of Records:106
Number of Columns:11

Table Structure
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Table Column Descriptions
 BioProject IDBioSample IDBioSample linkSRA IDSRA linkBioSample titleLocal sample nameSampling siteBiocrust typeSample replicateCollection date
Column Name:bioproject_id  
biosample_id  
biosample_link  
sra_id  
sra_link  
biosample_title  
sample_name  
Site  
Type  
SampleRep  
collection_date  
Definition:NCBI BioProject database identifierNCBI BioSample database identifierURL for BioSample at NCBINCBI Sequence Read Archive identifierURL for sequence data at NCBIBioSample titleSample name from BioSample metadataSampling site codeCrust type codeSample replicate numberDate of sample collection
Storage Type:string  
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anyURI  
integer  
anyURI  
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string  
string  
integer  
dateTime  
Measurement Type:nominalrationominalrationominalnominalnominalnominalnominalratiodateTime
Measurement Values Domain:
Definitionany text
Unitnumber
Typeinteger
DefinitionURL text
Unitnumber
Typeinteger
DefinitionURL text
Definitionany text
Definitionany text
Allowed Values and Definitions
Enumerated Domain 
Code Definition
CodeJER
DefinitionJornada Experimental Range site (near T-WEST)
Source
Code Definition
CodeWHS
DefinitionWhite Sands Missile Range site
Source
Code Definition
CodeVOL
DefinitionVolcanic BLM site
Source
Code Definition
CodeAMT
DefinitionA Mountain BLM site
Source
Allowed Values and Definitions
Enumerated Domain 
Code Definition
CodeDA
Definitiondark algal crust
Source
Code Definition
CodePTL
DefinitionPeltula lichen crust
Source
Code Definition
CodeMO
DefinitionMoss crust
Source
Code Definition
CodeCVL
DefinitionClavascidium lichen crust
Source
Code Definition
CodeLA
Definitionlight algal crust
Source
Unitnumber
Typeinteger
FormatYYYY-MM-DD
Precision1
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Accuracy Report:                      
Accuracy Assessment:                      
Coverage:                      
Methods:                      

Data Table

Data:https://pasta-s.lternet.edu/package/data/eml/knb-lter-jrn/210549001/5/e057bbb3776f44c343ca6bc1dd2ce0e7
Name:LPI data
Description:Line point intercept data from four Chihuahuan desert communities where biological soil crusts were collected for this study.
Number of Records:1200
Number of Columns:7

Table Structure
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Table Column Descriptions
 Sampling siteTransect numberLine intercept pointUpper canopy codeLower canopy code 1Lower canopy code 2Soil surface code
Column Name:Site  
Transect  
Point  
TopCanopy  
Code1  
Code2  
SoilSurface  
Definition:Sampling site codeTransect number (1 or 2)Point where observation was taken (every 0.2 m)Plants in upper canopyPlants in lower canopyPlants in lower canopySoil surface cover
Storage Type:string  
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Measurement Type:nominalratiorationominalnominalnominalnominal
Measurement Values Domain:
Allowed Values and Definitions
Enumerated Domain 
Code Definition
CodeWHS
DefinitionWhite Sands Missile Range site
Source
Code Definition
CodeVOL
DefinitionVolcanic BLM site
Source
Code Definition
CodeJER
DefinitionJornada Experimental Range site (near T-WEST)
Source
Code Definition
CodeAMT
DefinitionA Mountain BLM site
Source
Unitnumber
Typeinteger
Unitmeter
Typereal
Definitionany text
Definitionany text
Definitionany text
Definitionany text
Missing Value Code:      
CodeNA
ExplNo vegetation
CodeNA
ExplNo vegetation
CodeNA
ExplNo vegetation
 
Accuracy Report:              
Accuracy Assessment:              
Coverage:              
Methods:              

Data Table

Data:https://pasta-s.lternet.edu/package/data/eml/knb-lter-jrn/210549001/5/3b1c9404db9f2e889495d35ddc86df40
Name:Soil chemistry data
Description:Soil chemistry data sampled from 4 Chihuahan desert sites
Number of Records:22
Number of Columns:19

Table Structure
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Table Column Descriptions
 Sampling siteBiocrust typeSiol pHSoluble saltExcess limeOrganic matter lossNitrate N ppmPhosphate P ppmPotassium ppmSulfate S ppmCalcium ppmMagnesium ppmSodium ppmCation exchange capacity%H Sat%K Sat%Ca Sat%Mg Sat%Na Sat
Column Name:Site  
Type  
pH  
SSalt  
Lime  
OMLoss  
NPPM  
PPPM  
KPPM  
SPPM  
CaPPM  
MgPPM  
NaPPM  
CEC  
HSat  
KSat  
CaSat  
MgSat  
NaSat  
Definition:Sampling site codeCrust type codeSoil pH valueSoluble salts 1:1Excess Lime Rating, relative amount of soil effervescenceOrganic Matter Loss on ignitionNitrate N ppm NOlsen P ppm PPotassium ppm KSulfate-S ppm SCalcium ppm CaMagnesium ppm MgSodium ppm NaCation exchange capacity - Sum of Cations me/100g%H Saturation%K Saturation%Ca Saturation%Mg Saturation%Na Saturation
Storage Type:string  
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float  
float  
string  
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float  
float  
float  
float  
float  
float  
float  
float  
float  
float  
float  
float  
float  
Measurement Type:nominalnominalratiorationominalratioratioratioratioratioratioratioratioratioratioratioratioratioratio
Measurement Values Domain:
Allowed Values and Definitions
Enumerated Domain 
Code Definition
CodeAMT
DefinitionA Mountain BLM site
Source
Code Definition
CodeJER
DefinitionJornada Experimental Range site (near T-WEST)
Source
Code Definition
CodeVOL
DefinitionVolcanic BLM site
Source
Code Definition
CodeWHS
DefinitionWhite Sands Missile Range site
Source
Allowed Values and Definitions
Enumerated Domain 
Code Definition
CodePTL
DefinitionPeltula lichen crust
Source
Code Definition
CodeLA2
DefinitionLight algal outlier collected under shrub (project 549)
Source
Code Definition
CodePC
DefinitionPhysical crust (non-biological)
Source
Code Definition
CodeDA
Definitiondark algal crust
Source
Code Definition
CodeLA
Definitionlight algal crust
Source
Code Definition
CodeCVL
DefinitionClavascidium lichen crust
Source
Code Definition
CodeMO
DefinitionMoss crust
Source
UnitpH
Typereal
UnitmillimhoPerCentimeter
Typereal
Allowed Values and Definitions
Enumerated Domain 
Code Definition
CodeHIGH
Definitionhigh soil lime content
Source
Code Definition
CodeLOW
Definitionlow soil lime content
Source
Code Definition
CodeNONE
Definitionno soil lime detected
Source
Unitpercent
Typereal
UnitpartsPerMillion
Typereal
UnitpartsPerMillion
Typereal
UnitpartsPerMillion
Typereal
UnitpartsPerMillion
Typereal
UnitpartsPerMillion
Typereal
UnitpartsPerMillion
Typereal
UnitpartsPerMillion
Typereal
UnitmicroequivalentsPer100g
Typereal
Unitpercent
Typereal
Unitpercent
Typereal
Unitpercent
Typereal
Unitpercent
Typereal
Unitpercent
Typereal
Missing Value Code:                                      
Accuracy Report:                                      
Accuracy Assessment:                                      
Coverage:                                      
Methods:                                      

Data Table

Data:https://pasta-s.lternet.edu/package/data/eml/knb-lter-jrn/210549001/5/ed49c2a4d3221917d36e0ec15fd2d6bf
Name:Cyanobacterial abundance data
Description:Cyanobacterial abundance data sampled from 4 Chihuahan desert sites
Number of Records:1800
Number of Columns:11

Table Structure
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Table Column Descriptions
 Amplicon sequence variantSampling siteBiocrust typeRelative abundanceKingdomPhylumClassOrderFamilyGenusSpecies
Column Name:ASV  
Site  
Type  
Abundance  
Kingdom  
Phylum  
Class  
Order  
Family  
Genus  
Species  
Definition:Amplicon sequence variantSampling site codeCrust type codeMean relative abundance of each species across 5 replicatesTaxonomic Kingdom name for ASVTaxonomic Phylum name for ASVTaxonomic Class name for ASVTaxonomic Order name for ASVTaxonomic Family name for ASVTaxonomic genus name for ASVTaxonomic species name for ASV. Taxonomic species name for ASV. Species relative abundance under 1% were renamed "<1% abund".
Storage Type:string  
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Measurement Type:nominalnominalnominalrationominalnominalnominalnominalnominalnominalnominal
Measurement Values Domain:
Definitionany text
Allowed Values and Definitions
Enumerated Domain 
Code Definition
CodeWHS
DefinitionWhite Sands Missile Range site
Source
Code Definition
CodeVOL
DefinitionVolcanic BLM site
Source
Code Definition
CodeJER
DefinitionJornada Experimental Range site (near T-WEST)
Source
Code Definition
CodeAMT
DefinitionA Mountain BLM site
Source
Allowed Values and Definitions
Enumerated Domain 
Code Definition
CodeCVL
DefinitionClavascidium lichen crust
Source
Code Definition
CodePTL
DefinitionPeltula lichen crust
Source
Code Definition
CodeMO
DefinitionMoss crust
Source
Code Definition
CodeLA
Definitionlight algal crust
Source
Code Definition
CodeDA
Definitiondark algal crust
Source
Unitfraction
Typereal
Definitionany text
Definitionany text
Definitionany text
Definitionany text
Definitionany text
Definitionany text
Definitionany text
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Accuracy Assessment:                      
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Methods:                      

Data Table

Data:https://pasta-s.lternet.edu/package/data/eml/knb-lter-jrn/210549001/5/4740bebc41a1ed7b4d377fa96fd2d709
Name:PLFA biomass data
Description:Microbial biomass data derived from phospholipid fatty acid analysis at 4 Chihuahan desert sampling sites
Number of Records:20
Number of Columns:31

Table Structure
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Table Column Descriptions
 Sampling siteBiocrust typeTotalBiomassDiversityIndexBacteriaPercentBacteriaBiomassActinomycetesPercentActinomycetesBiomassGramNegPercentGramNegBiomassRhizobiaPercentRhizobiaBiomassFungiPercentFungiBiomassArbMycorrhizalPercentArbMycorrhizalBiomassSaprophyticPercentSaprophyticBiomassProtozoanPercentProtozoanBiomassGramPosBiomassGramPosPercentUndifferentiatedPercentUndifferentiatedBiomassFungiToBacteriaPredatorToPreyGramPosToGramNegSatToUnsatMonoToPolyPre16ToCy17Pre18ToCy19
Column Name:Site  
Type  
TotalBiomass  
DiversityIndex  
BacteriaPercent  
BacteriaBiomass  
ActinomycetesPercent  
ActinomycetesBiomass  
GramNegPercent  
GramNegBiomass  
RhizobiaPercent  
RhizobiaBiomass  
FungiPercent  
FungiBiomass  
ArbMycorrhizalPercent  
ArbMycorrhizalBiomass  
SaprophyticPercent  
SaprophyticBiomass  
ProtozoanPercent  
ProtozoanBiomass  
GramPosBiomass  
GramPosPercent  
UndifferentiatedPercent  
UndifferentiatedBiomass  
FungiToBacteria  
PredatorToPrey  
GramPosToGramNeg  
SatToUnsat  
MonoToPoly  
Pre16ToCy17  
Pre18ToCy19  
Definition:Sampling site codeCrust type codeTotal biomassSimpson’s Diversity IndexPercent bacteriaBacterial biomassPercent ActinomycesActinomyces biomassGram Negative percentGram Negative biomassRhizobia percentRhizobia biomassPercent fungiFungal biomassArbuscular mycorrhizal percentArbuscular mycorrhizal biomassSaprophytic percentSaprophytic biomassProtozoan percentProtozoa biomassGram positive biomassGram positive percentUndifferentiated percentUndifferentiated biomassFungi:Bacteria ratioPredator:prey ratioGram positive:Gram negative ratioRatio of Saturated to Unsaturated fatty acidsRatio of Mono to Polysaturated fatty acidsPre 16:1w7c:cy17:0pre16 to cy17 fatty acidsPre 18:1w7c:cy19:0pre18 to cy19 fatty acids
Storage Type:string  
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float  
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float  
float  
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float  
float  
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float  
float  
float  
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Measurement Type:nominalnominalratioratioratioratioratioratioratioratioratioratioratioratioratioratioratioratioratioratioratioratioratioratiorationominalratioratiorationominalnominal
Measurement Values Domain:
Allowed Values and Definitions
Enumerated Domain 
Code Definition
CodeJER
DefinitionJornada Experimental Range site (near T-WEST)
Source
Code Definition
CodeWHS
DefinitionWhite Sands Missile Range site
Source
Code Definition
CodeVOL
DefinitionVolcanic BLM site
Source
Code Definition
CodeAMT
DefinitionA Mountain BLM site
Source
Allowed Values and Definitions
Enumerated Domain 
Code Definition
CodeDA
Definitiondark algal crust
Source
Code Definition
CodeLA
Definitionlight algal crust
Source
Code Definition
CodeMO
DefinitionMoss crust
Source
Code Definition
CodePTL
DefinitionPeltula lichen crust
Source
Code Definition
CodeCVL
DefinitionClavascidium lichen crust
Source
UnitnanogramPerGram
Typereal
UnitsimpsonDivIndex
Typereal
Unitpercent
Typereal
UnitnanogramPerGram
Typereal
Unitpercent
Typereal
UnitnanogramPerGram
Typereal
Unitpercent
Typereal
UnitnanogramPerGram
Typereal
Unitpercent
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UnitnanogramPerGram
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UnitnanogramPerGram
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UnitnanogramPerGram
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UnitnanogramPerGram
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UnitnanogramPerGram
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Unitpercent
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UnitnanogramPerGram
Typereal
Unitdimensionless
Typereal
Definitionany text
Unitdimensionless
Typereal
Unitdimensionless
Typereal
Unitdimensionless
Typereal
Definitionany text
Definitionany text
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Accuracy Assessment:                                                              
Coverage:                                                              
Methods:                                                              

Data Table

Data:https://pasta-s.lternet.edu/package/data/eml/knb-lter-jrn/210549001/5/5a684a007adf2030c0c87a8ee2d94f88
Name:Cover and species codes
Description:Taxonomic codes for plants, soil crusts, and cover types used in the dataset, with links to USDA Plants codes when applicable
Number of Records:46
Number of Columns:3

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Table Column Descriptions
 LPI codeCode descriptionUSDA Plants equivalent
Column Name:LPI_code  
description  
USDA_plants_code  
Definition:Line point intercept code used in data filesDescription of the species or cover indicated by the LPI codeEquivalent USDA Plants database code (if available)
Storage Type:string  
string  
string  
Measurement Type:nominalnominalnominal
Measurement Values Domain:
Definitionany text
Definitionany text
Definitionany text
Missing Value Code:      
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Data Package Usage Rights

This information is released under the Creative Commons license - Attribution - CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The consumer of these data ("Data User" herein) is required to cite it appropriately in any publication that results from its use. The Data User should realize that these data may be actively used by others for ongoing research and that coordination may be necessary to prevent duplicate publication. The Data User is urged to contact the authors of these data if any questions about methodology or results occur. Where appropriate, the Data User is encouraged to consider collaboration or co-authorship with the authors. The Data User should realize that misinterpretation of data may occur if used out of context of the original study. While substantial efforts are made to ensure the accuracy of data and associated documentation, complete accuracy of data sets cannot be guaranteed. All data are made available "as is." The Data User should be aware, however, that data are updated periodically and it is the responsibility of the Data User to check for new versions of the data. The data authors and the repository where these data were obtained shall not be liable for damages resulting from any use or misinterpretation of the data. Thank you.

Keywords

By Thesaurus:
LTER Core Research Areaspopulations
LTER Controlled Vocabulary v1algae, bacterial abundance, community dynamics, deserts, genomics, grasses, microbial biomass, plant communities, shrubs, soil, soil chemistry, soil nutrients, soil organic matter, soil samples, species abundance, species diversity, transects
none16S sequencing, biological, biotic crusts, cryptobiotic crusts, cyanobacteria, line-point intercept, lpi, relative abundance, soil crusts
Jornada Basin LTER dataset keywordsNCBI linked, non-core
Jornada Basin project namesstudy 549
Jornada Basin place namesT-WEST

Methods and Protocols

These methods, instrumentation and/or protocols apply to all data in this dataset:

Methods and protocols used in the collection of this data package
Description:

Experimental and sampling design

Biological soil crusts, and related environmental data and samples, were collected at four sites in the Chihuahuan Desert with varying vegetation and soils. At each of the four sites in the study, 2 intersecting 30m transects were laid out in an X shape crossing at the 15m mark. From these transects, replicate samples of 5 types of biological soil crusts were collected, along with representative soil samples and data on vegetation cover. Collections occurred between May and July of 2020 and samples were subsequently processed and analyzed using the following methods.

Preparation and metagenomic analysis (sequencing) of biological soil crust samples

At each of the four sites, five biocrust soil samples were collected for each of the five crust types (100 samples total). All soil crust samples were collected along the 2 intersecting 30 meter transects. Samples were stored in a -80C freezer until processing. Samples were homogenized by physically crushing the biocrust aggregate and shaking the collection bag until well mixed. A sample weight of ~0.25g biocrust soil was collected from each homogenized sample.Whole community genomic DNA was extracted from each crust type per site using DNeasy PowerLyzer Soil Kit by QIAGEN (Qiagen Laboratories, Carlsbad, CA, USA), with modification to the bead beating homogenizer step. Samples were subject to two 45sec interval and 5sec rest cycle in the Precellys 24 tissue homogenizer (Bertin Instruments, Paris, France) at 2500rpm. Some duplicate samples were added to the final well plate, for a total of 106 samples. Extracted DNA was sent to University of Minnesota Genomics Center for library preparation, amplification, and Illumina MiSeq. Illumina MiSeq sequencing occurred in 2x300 PE base format targeting 16S rRNA V4 gene region with the 515F and 806R primers following the protocol of the Earth Microbiome Project. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed with KAPA HiFidelity Hot Start Polymerase in a two step process. qPCR was carried out for quality checking with an initial denaturation 95ºC 5min, followed by 35 cycles of: denaturation 98ºC 20 sec, annealing 55ºC 15sec, and elongation 72ºC 1 min, followed by a final 70ºC 5min elongation and holding at 4ºC thereafter. Samples were then normalized to 167,000 molecules/ul. PCR1 was performed using the same steps as in qPCR but with 25 cycles. Samples were then diluted to 1:100 and 5ul were used in PCR2 where again the same steps were performed as in qPCR but using different forward and reverse indexing primer combinations and 10 cycles. Samples were pooled and denatured in 8 pM NaOH diluted in Illumina’s HT1 buffer, spiked with 15% PhiX. Heat denaturation was also carried out immediately before sample loading for 2min at 96ºC. Sequencing was performed using a MiSeq 600 cycle v3 kit. Post run trimming was carried out with Nextera adapter sequences. After demultiplexing, a total of 4,924,626 sequence reads were received in a range from 28-79381 per sample.

The raw sequence data can be found at the NCBI repository under BioProject #PRJNA748083, and metadata connecting NCBI sequence accessions to the sites and samples in this dataset can be found in the included data inventory table (JRN549001_sample_and_ncbi_inventory.csv).

Line Point Intercept data

Site characterization via line point intercept surveys (Herrick el al. 2016) was carried out along two transects at each of the 4 sites (May-July 2020). Surveys assessed plant and biocrust percent cover. Presence/absence of plant and/or biocrust type was recorded every 0.2m along 2 intersecting 30m transects (in X shape crossing at 15m). This information will be used to upscale carbon and nitrogen fixation rates to the landscape according to biocrust percent cover. Transects had a maximum of two codes between TopCanopy and SoilSurface, and cover codes used in the LPI data file are non-standard, so an explanatory table, with links to USDA Plants codes (https://plants.usda.gov) where applicable, are included in an attached file (JRN549001_LPI_codes.csv).

Soil chemistry data

To characterize soil chemical composition, composite soil samples (250g) were collected for each crust type at each site from 5 places along the 2 intersecting 30m transects. Samples were collected using sterile technique and stored at 4˚C until shipping to Ward Laboratories for analysis. Soil chemical analysis included CEC and Base Saturation (Haby et al. 1990 & Warncke et al. 1998), soil pH (Mc Lean 1982 & Watson & Brown 1998), soluble salt analysis (Rhoades 1982), loss on ignition (Combs & Nathan 1998), Mehlich 3 extract (Mehlich 1984 & Lachat instruments 2003, Rao & Sharma 1997), and H2O extract (Haney et al.1999, Haney et al. 2018).

Cyanobacterial abundance

Supercomputing was used to process sequencing data with standardized bioinformatics pipelines in Qiime2 (v2021.2) and AMPtk (v1.42). Briefly, the AMPtk program merged forward and reverse reads, binned samples according to barcode sequences, removed barcodes and primers, trimmed reads to 300 base pairs, clustered reads into ASVs with 97% similarity, and removed singleton ASVs.Bacterial taxonomy was assigned using Qiime2 pipeline and Silva (v138.1) (Bacteria and Archaea) database. Sequence data analyses were carried out in the R package phyloseq. Singletons and 9 samples with low read count were removed from the data set leaving a total of 4,922,472 sequences in a range of 10,753-79,381 sequences merged. ASVs were rarified to the minimum read count of 10,753. Chloroplast and mitochondrial data was removed and bacterial data was subsequently assessed for relative abundance of bacteria by Phylum. Cyanobacterial data was subset and manually reclassified using Cydrasil version 3.

PLFA Biomass

Broad taxonomic and functional group assignments of soil crust communities were made using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis. Composite samples (250g) were collected for each crust type at each site from 5 places along the 2 intersecting 30m transects (in X shape crossing at 15m). Samples were collected using sterile technique and stored at 4˚C until shipping to Ward Laboratories for analysis. PLFA analysis was carried out using the procedure detailed in Stott (2019), based on the work of Buyer & Sasser (2012).

References

Buyer, J. S. & Sasser, M. (2012) High throughput phospholipid fatty acid analysis of soils. Applied Soil Ecology, 61, 127-130.

Combs, S. M. & Nathan, M. V. (1998) Soil Organic Matter. p. 53-58. J. R. Brown (ed.) Recommended Chemical Soil Test Procedures for the North Central Region. North Central Regional Publication No. 221 (revised). University of Missouri Ag. Exp. Station, Columbia, MO 65211.

Haby, V.A., Russelle, M.P. & Skoley, E.O. (1990) R. L. Westerman (ed.) Soil Testing and Plant Analysis (Third Edition), Testing Soils for Potassium, Calcium, and Magnesium. p. 181-227. Soil Sci. Soc. of Am., Madison, Wis.

Haney, R.L., Franzluebbers, A.J. Hons, F.M. & Zuberer, D.A. (1999) Soil C extracted with water or K2SO4: pH effect on determination of microbial biomass. Canadian Journal of Soil Science 79:529-533.

Haney, R.L., Haney, E.B., Smith, D.R., Harmel, R.D. & White, M.J. (2018) The soil health tool—Theory and initial broad-scale application, Applied Soil Ecology, Volume 125, Pages 162-168, ISSN 0929-1393, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2017.07.035.

Herrick, J. E., Van Zee, J. W., McCord, S. E., Courtright, E. M., Karl, J. W. & Burkett, L. M. (2016) Monitoring manual for grassland, shrubland, and savanna ecosystems. Volume I: Core Methods. USDA – ARS Jornada Experimental Range, Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Lachat Instruments (2003) QuickChem Automated Ion Analyzer Methods Manual. Determination of OrthoPhosphate in Bray or Mehlich Extracts of Soil by Flow Injection Analysis. QuickChem Method No. 12-115-01-1-A. Loveland, CO USA.

McLean, E.O. 1982. Soil pH and Lime Requirement. p. 199-223. In A. L. Page (ed.) Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 2.Chemical and Microbiological Properties-Agronomy Monograph no.9 (2nd edition). Soil Sci. Soc. of Am., Madison Wis.

Mehlich, A. (1984) Mehlich - 3 Soil Test Extractant: A Modification of Mehlich 2 Extractant. Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal., 15:1409-1416.

Rao, T. N. & Sharma, P. K. (1997) Evaluation of Mehlich III as an extractant for available soil sulfur, Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 28:13-14, 1033-1046, DOI: 10.1080/00103629709369853

Rhoades, J. D. (1982) A. L. Page (ed.) Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 2.Chemical and Microbiological Properties-Agronomy Monograph no.9 (2nd edition), Soluble Salts. p. 167-179. Soil Sci. Soc. of Am., Madison Wis.

Stott, D.E. 2019. Recommended Soil Health Indicators and Associated Laboratory Procedures. Soil Health Technical Note No. 450-03. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Warncke, D. & J. R. Brown J. R. (1998) J. R. Brown (ed.) Recommended Chemical Soil Test Procedures for the North Central Region. North Central Regional Publication No. 221 (revised), Potassium and Other Basic Cations p. 31-33. University of Missouri Ag. Exp. Station. Columbia, MO 65211

Watson, M. E. & J. R. Brown. (1998) J. R. Brown (ed.) Recommended Chemical Soil Test Procedures for the North Central Region. North Central Regional Publication No. 221 (revised), pH and Lime Requirement, p.13-16. University of Missouri Ag. Exp. Station. Columbia, MO 65211.

People and Organizations

Publishers:
Organization:Environmental Data Initiative
Email Address:
info@edirepository.org
Web Address:
https://edirepository.org
Id:https://ror.org/0330j0z60
Creators:
Individual: Mikaela Hoellrich
Organization:New Mexico State University
Address:
Las Cruces, NM 88003-8003 U.S.A.
Individual: Nicole Pietrasiak
Organization:New Mexico State University
Address:
Las Cruces, NM 88003-8003 U.S.A.
Id:https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4636-8006
Contacts:
Organization:Jornada Basin LTER
Position:Information Manager
Phone:
575-322-2430
Email Address:
jornada.data@nmsu.edu
Web Address:
https://lter.jornada.nmsu.edu/information-management/
Associated Parties:
Individual: Paul De Ley
Organization:New Mexico State University
Role:associate
Individual: Andrew Dominguez
Organization:New Mexico State University
Role:associate
Metadata Providers:
Organization:Jornada Basin LTER
Position:Jornada Basin LTER program
Address:
P.O. Box 30003; MSC 3JER New Mexico State University,
Las Cruces, NM 88003-8003 USA
Email Address:
jornada.lter@nmsu.edu
Web Address:
https://lter.jornada.nmsu.edu
Id:https://ror.org/05976ta47

Temporal, Geographic and Taxonomic Coverage

Temporal, Geographic and/or Taxonomic information that applies to all data in this dataset:

Time Period
Begin:
2020-05-01
End:
2020-07-31
Geographic Region:
Description:T-West crust sampling (549): Study 549 T-West crust samples: Near T- West, tarbush dominated site
Bounding Coordinates:
Northern:  32.511184Southern:  32.511065
Western:  -106.741358Eastern:  -106.741125
Geographic Region:
Description:A Mountain crust sampling (549): Study 549 A Mountain crust samples: Across the road from A Mountain, creosote dominated
Bounding Coordinates:
Northern:  32.300009Southern:  32.300001
Western:  -106.698837Eastern:  -106.698654
Geographic Region:
Description:White Sands crust sampling (549): Study 549 White Sands Missile Range crust samples: Gypsum soil, heavy lichen cover
Bounding Coordinates:
Northern:  32.729705Southern:  32.729715
Western:  106.215953Eastern:  106.215950
Geographic Region:
Description:Volcanic crust sampling (549): Study 549 Volcanic Site crust samples: On top of lava outcrop
Bounding Coordinates:
Northern:  32.105730Southern:  32.979502
Western:  -107.024705Eastern:  -107.024586

Project

Parent Project Information:

Title:Jornada Basin LTER
Personnel:
Individual:Dr. Niall Hanan
Address:
P.O. Box 30003, MSC 3JER,
New Mexico State University,
Las Cruces, NM 88003-8003 United States
Phone:
575-646-3335 (voice)
Email Address:
nhanan@nmsu.edu
Role:Principal Investigator
Abstract:

The Jornada Basin Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program is part of a national network of long-term ecological research sites funded by the US National Science Foundation (NSF). The Jornada LTER program has been continuously funded since 1982 (Current NSF award: DEB-2025166) to develop general principles governing changes between grassland and shrubland ecosystems based on long-term data collected in the Chihuahuan Desert. We translate our findings to dryland ecosystems around the world, and forecast the dynamics of future ecosystem states in response to changing climate and land use.

Additional Award Information:
Funder:National Science Foundation
Funder ID:https://ror.org/05976ta47
Number:2025166
Title:LTER: Long –Term Research at the Jornada Basin (LTER VII)
URL:https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2025166
Additional Award Information:
Funder:National Science Foundation
Number:DEB 1832194
Title:Prior award: LTER: Long - Term Research at the Jornada Basin (LTER VII)
Additional Award Information:
Funder:National Science Foundation
Number:DEB 1235828
Title:Prior award: LTER: Long-Term Research at the Jornada Basin (LTER-VI)
Additional Award Information:
Funder:National Science Foundation
Number:DEB 0618210
Title:Prior award: Jornada Basin LTER V: Landscape Linkages in Arid and Semiarid Ecosystems
Additional Award Information:
Funder:National Science Foundation
Number:DEB 0080412
Title:Prior award: LTER IV: Jornada Basin: Linkages in Semi-arid Landscapes
Additional Award Information:
Funder:National Science Foundation
Number:DEB 9411971
Title:Prior award: LTER: The Chihuahuan Desert (The Jornada LTER III Consortium)
Additional Award Information:
Funder:National Science Foundation
Number:DEB 8811160, 9240261
Title:Prior award: Interactions in Time and Space Variability in a Chihuahuan Desert Ecosystem: Jornada LTER (II)
Additional Award Information:
Funder:National Science Foundation
Number:DEB 8114466, 8612106
Title:Prior award: Interactions of Time and Space Variability in a Chihuahuan Desert Ecosystem in New Mexico (Jornada LTER I)

Maintenance

Maintenance:
Description:complete
Frequency:asNeeded
Other Metadata

Additional Metadata

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        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'unitType' = 'massPerMass'
        |     |     |     |___text '\n          '
        |     |     |     |___element 'description'
        |     |     |     |     |___text 'micrograms per gram'
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        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'id' = 'microequivalentsPer100g'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'name' = 'microequivalentsPer100g'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'parentSI' = 'molePerMeterCubed'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'unitType' = 'amountOfSubstanceConcentration'
        |     |     |     |___text '\n          '
        |     |     |     |___element 'description'
        |     |     |     |     |___text 'microequivalents per 100 g solution; concentration of charge (on dissolved ions). conversions must know the name of the ion; a single multiplier to SI is not possible'
        |     |     |     |___text '\n        '
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        |     |     |     |___text '\n          '
        |     |     |     |___element 'description'
        |     |     |     |     |___text 'a decimal ratio of a part to a whole'
        |     |     |     |___text '\n        '
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        |     |     |___element 'unit'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'id' = 'number'
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        |     |     |     |     |___text 'a quantity or amount'
        |     |     |     |___text '\n        '
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        |     |     |___element 'unit'
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        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'id' = 'partsPerMillion'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'multiplierToSI' = '1'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'name' = 'partsPerMillion'
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        |     |     |     |___text '\n          '
        |     |     |     |___element 'description'
        |     |     |     |     |___text 'ratio of two quantities as parts per million (1:1000000)'
        |     |     |     |___text '\n        '
        |     |     |___text '\n        '
        |     |     |___element 'unit'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'abbreviation' = '%'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'id' = 'percent'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'multiplierToSI' = '1'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'name' = 'percent'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'parentSI' = 'dimensionless'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'unitType' = 'dimensionless'
        |     |     |     |___text '\n          '
        |     |     |     |___element 'description'
        |     |     |     |     |___text 'percent, one part per hundred parts. a decimal ratio multipled by 100'
        |     |     |     |___text '\n        '
        |     |     |___text '\n        '
        |     |     |___element 'unit'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'abbreviation' = 'm'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'id' = 'meter'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'multiplierToSI' = '1'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'name' = 'meter'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'unitType' = 'length'
        |     |     |     |___text '\n          '
        |     |     |     |___element 'description'
        |     |     |     |     |___text 'SI unit of length'
        |     |     |     |___text '\n        '
        |     |     |___text '\n        '
        |     |     |___element 'unit'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'abbreviation' = '-log([H+])'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'id' = 'pH'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'multiplierToSI' = '0'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'name' = 'pH'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'parentSI' = 'molesPerMole'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'unitType' = 'dimensionless'
        |     |     |     |___text '\n          '
        |     |     |     |___element 'description'
        |     |     |     |     |___text 'Potential of Hydrogen (pH) measured as the negative logarithm of H+ concentration in solution'
        |     |     |     |___text '\n        '
        |     |     |___text '\n        '
        |     |     |___element 'unit'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'abbreviation' = 'mmhos/cm'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'id' = 'millimhoPerCentimeter'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'multiplierToSI' = '0.001'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'name' = 'millimhoPerCentimeter'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'parentSI' = 'siemens'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'unitType' = 'conductance'
        |     |     |     |___text '\n          '
        |     |     |     |___element 'description'
        |     |     |     |     |___text 'electrical conductivity (usually in soil)'
        |     |     |     |___text '\n        '
        |     |     |___text '\n        '
        |     |     |___element 'unit'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'abbreviation' = 'SimpsonDiv'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'id' = 'simpsonDivIndex'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'multiplierToSI' = '1'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'name' = 'simpsonDivIndex'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'unitType' = 'dimensionless'
        |     |     |     |___text '\n          '
        |     |     |     |___element 'description'
        |     |     |     |     |___text 'Simpson\'s Diversity Index value'
        |     |     |     |___text '\n        '
        |     |     |___text '\n      '
        |     |___text '\n    '
        |___text '\n  '

EDI is a collaboration between the University of New Mexico and the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Center for Limnology:

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