ARS | Publication request: JORNADA BASIN LTER: LINKAGES IN SEMIARID LANDSCAPES

Submitted to: Ecological Society of America Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: August 6, 2000
Publication Date: August 6, 2000
Citation: HUENNEKE, L., HAVSTAD, K.M., HERRICK, J.E., LIGHTFOOT, D.C., MONGER, H.C., PETERS, D.C., RANGO, A. JORNADA BASIN LTER: LINKAGES IN SEMIARID LANDSCAPES. 85TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. 2000. ABSTRACT P. 396.

Technical Abstract: Chihuahuan Desert landscapes exemplify the ecological conditions, vulnerability, and management issues found in semi-arid regions around the globe. The goal of the JRN-LTER program is to identify the key factors controlling ecosystem dynamics in semi-arid landscapes with the objective of understanding the causes and consequences of desertification. Previous work has focused primarily at the scale of a single plant-interspace and the redistribution of resources at that scale. Our central hypothesis for LTER IV is that landscape position and linkages among landscape units exert important influences on ecosystem dynamics and biotic patterns. We propose to build upon our understanding of resource redistribution at the plant-interspace scale in several ways. We will synthesize existing long-term data with new studies on linkages among landscape units. We will conduct simulation model analyses to test the relative importance of within- versus between-unit processes. We will initiate studies of landscape fluxes of water, nutrients, and organisms to evaluate key processes affecting ecosystem dynamics at this scale. We will also employ remote sensing to assess fluxes and processes at larger spatial scales. Cross-site studies will be used to test the generality of our hypotheses for application to management and remediation of semi-arid ecosystems and desertified landscapes.