Soil Depth and Climatic Effects on Desert Vegetation Dynamics

Abstract

Soil depth effects on honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa Torr) cover and density and perennial grass standing crop were evaluated over an 11-yr period (1995-2005) on two lightly stocked and two conservatively stocked pastures on the Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland Research Center in south-central New Mexico. These four adjoining pastures have similar size, vegetation, and soils. Soils in these study pastures are primarily light sandy loams varying from a few centimeters to 1 m or more in depth underlain by a calcium carbonate layer. Deep soils had lower perennial grass standing crop and higher honey mesquite cover and density than did shallow soils at both the beginning (1995-1997) and ending (2003-2005) periods of study. Average perennial grass standing crop across the four study pastures dropped 82% between 1995-1997 and 2003-2005 because of drought during the last 5 yr of study. Honey mesquite canopy cover and perennial grass standing crop did not differ between light and conservative grazing treatments at the beginning or end of our study. Honey mesquite canopy cover did not change

Co‐existence in a species‐rich grassland: competition, facilitation and niche structure over a soil depth gradient

“…Soil depth is a potentially important niche axis promoting plant co‐existence in rocky environments: individual species and even whole communities are restricted to specific soil depths (Oosting & Anderson ; Bliss & Cox ; Baskin & Baskin ; Houle & Phillips ; Fuhlendorf & Smeins ; Porembski ; Khumalo et al. ). Such zonation is the result of interspecific differences in hydrological responses and interactions.…”

Wildfire Assessment Using FARSITE Fire Modeling: A Case Study in the Chihuahua Desert of Mexico

“…However, some extreme data values were as high as 20% canopy cover (Ibid). Other studies conducted in the Chihuahua desert have found very similar values (Khumalo et al, 2008;Ludwig et al, 2000).…”

Wildfire and Aspect Effects on Hydrologic States after the 2010 Fourmile Canyon Fire

“…The Front Range of the north–south‐trending Rocky Mountains has east–west‐trending valleys, with generally NF and SF aspect hillslopes. Aspect is known to impact soil‐water content, soil hydraulic properties, and soil depths (Casanova et al, 2000; Khumalo et al, 2008; Geroy et al, 2011). Aspect affects soil development and properties in the area of the 2010 Fourmile Canyon Fire, as shown by Birkeland et al (2003), because SF aspects are warmer and drier while NF aspects are colder and wetter in general (Veblen and Lorenz, 1991).…”