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ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Range Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #142716
Title: SOIL AND SPATIAL DEPENDENCE OF LANDSCAPE CHANGE IN CHIHUAHUAN DESERT GRASSLANDS

Author
item Bestelmeyer, Brandon
item GILE, LELAND - NRCS (RETIRED)
item NOLEN, BARBARA - NEW MEXICO STATE UNIV
item MONGER, CURTIS - NEW MEXICO STATE UNIV
item Havstad, Kris

Submitted to: US-International Association for Landscape Ecology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/1/2002
Publication Date: 4/23/2002
Citation: BESTELMEYER, B.T., GILE, L.H., NOLEN, B., MONGER, H.C., HAVSTAD, K.M. SOIL AND SPATIAL DEPENDENCE OF LANDSCAPE CHANGE IN CHIHUAHUAN DESERT GRASSLANDS. US-INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY. 2002. ABSTRACT P. 64.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: It is clear that soil properties, landscape position, and nutrient transfers among landscape elements affect the properties of plant communities. Nonetheless, few studies have attempted to account for these variables in explaining plant community dynamics. We examine how changes in grass cover, grass patch structure, and shrub abundance varied on different soils within the southern Jornada del Muerto Basin of New Mexico, USA. Changes in vegetation patterns revealed by repeat photography over 30-40 years (from 1959-2001) were related to detailed measurements of soil properties and geomorphology taken at each photography site as part of the Desert Soil-Geomorphology Project of the Natural Resources Conservation Service. On heavy soils on basin floor or lower piedmont positions, grass patch structure was remarkably stable or patch size increased over the study period. Shrub abundance increased little or even declined. On loamy to sandy soils on upper piedmont positions that were not already devoid of grass, grass cover has declined and shrub abundance and size increased. It is likely that the translocation of water and other resources from degrading sites on upper fan piedmont positions lead to the stability or increases in grass cover observed in downslope landscape positions. These patterns indicate that interpretations of rangeland degradation must account for soils, geomorphology and landscape connectivity.