Vegetation and soil moisture data from 2019 selective mortality experiment in perennial grassland on the Colorado Plateau, Utah, USA
These data were compiled to investigate competitive interactions between Pleurphis jamesii and other herbaceous plants in a semiarid grassland community. The objectives of our study were to determine whether selective mortality of either C3 or C4 herbaceous plants led to changes in (1) soil moisture during the growing season, (2) water use by Pleuraphis jamesii during the growing season, and (3) Pleuraphis jamesii biomass at the end of the growing season. These data represent the soil moisture; Pleuraphis jamesii physiology, phenology, and growth; and plant community composition before and after selective mortality treatments were implemented. These data were collected in 2019 in the Indian Creek Special Recreation Management Area of Bears Ears National Monument, Utah, USA. The data were measured as part of an experiment examining whether selective mortality of either C3 or C4 herbaceous plants leads to competitive release of Pleuraphis jamesii, a dominant C4 perennial grass species on the Colorado Plateau. We selected 18 focal Pleuraphis jamesii individuals and assigned them to one of three treatments: C3 grass and forb removal with herbicide, C4 grass removal with herbicide, or control (no plant removal). We measured a suite of variables intended to characterize plant water availability, plant water stress, and plant growth in response to the three treatments. Weather data for the experimental site during the time of this study were reported by Grote et al. (2023, EDGUT_Wx station). These data were collected from 1 May 2019 to 6 November 2019 by U.S. Geological Survey scientists and technicians from the Southwest Biological Science Center - Moab, UT, Research Station. These data can be used to understand the effects of plant community changes on individuals in semiarid grasslands, particularly in the context of regional aridification.
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Complete Metadata
| @type | dcat:Dataset |
|---|---|
| accessLevel | public |
| bureauCode |
[
"010:12"
]
|
| contactPoint |
{
"fn": "Michael C. Duniway",
"@type": "vcard:Contact",
"hasEmail": "mailto:mduniway@usgs.gov"
}
|
| description | These data were compiled to investigate competitive interactions between Pleurphis jamesii and other herbaceous plants in a semiarid grassland community. The objectives of our study were to determine whether selective mortality of either C3 or C4 herbaceous plants led to changes in (1) soil moisture during the growing season, (2) water use by Pleuraphis jamesii during the growing season, and (3) Pleuraphis jamesii biomass at the end of the growing season. These data represent the soil moisture; Pleuraphis jamesii physiology, phenology, and growth; and plant community composition before and after selective mortality treatments were implemented. These data were collected in 2019 in the Indian Creek Special Recreation Management Area of Bears Ears National Monument, Utah, USA. The data were measured as part of an experiment examining whether selective mortality of either C3 or C4 herbaceous plants leads to competitive release of Pleuraphis jamesii, a dominant C4 perennial grass species on the Colorado Plateau. We selected 18 focal Pleuraphis jamesii individuals and assigned them to one of three treatments: C3 grass and forb removal with herbicide, C4 grass removal with herbicide, or control (no plant removal). We measured a suite of variables intended to characterize plant water availability, plant water stress, and plant growth in response to the three treatments. Weather data for the experimental site during the time of this study were reported by Grote et al. (2023, EDGUT_Wx station). These data were collected from 1 May 2019 to 6 November 2019 by U.S. Geological Survey scientists and technicians from the Southwest Biological Science Center - Moab, UT, Research Station. These data can be used to understand the effects of plant community changes on individuals in semiarid grasslands, particularly in the context of regional aridification. |
| distribution |
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| identifier | http://datainventory.doi.gov/id/dataset/USGS_642aff8dd34ee8d4add03c91 |
| keyword |
[
"Bears Ears National Monument",
"C3 herbaceous plants",
"C4 herbaceous plants",
"Canyonlands National Park",
"Colorado Plateau",
"Indian Creek Special Recreation Management Area",
"Needles District",
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"field inventory and monitoring",
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"plants (organisms)",
"selective mortality",
"soil resources",
"soil volumetric water content",
"southeastern Utah",
"terrestrial ecosystems",
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|
| modified | 2026-04-16T00:00:00Z |
| publisher |
{
"name": "U.S. Geological Survey",
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|
| spatial | -109.721159, 38.173330, -109.718343, 38.176681 |
| theme |
[
"geospatial"
]
|
| title | Vegetation and soil moisture data from 2019 selective mortality experiment in perennial grassland on the Colorado Plateau, Utah, USA |
