Biocrust cover, vegetation, and climate data from a protected grassland within Canyonlands National Park, Utah (ver. 2.0, Sept. 2023)

These tabular data were compiled for/to monitor vegetation and biocrust cover in a never grazed grassland located in Canyonlands National Park. An objective, or objectives, of our study was to document potential changes in biocrust and vegetation cover and species composition as related to changes in land use and climate change. These data represent a timeseries of long-term vegetation and biocrust monitoring plots, dating from 1965 to 2021. These data were collected at/in Virginia Park, Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, Utah. These data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Research Center in coordination with the US National Park Service. Data were collected via field observations twice annually, once in the Spring (April-May) and once in fall (Sept.) starting in 1996. A weather station was established in 1998 which recorded hourly temperature and precipitation measurements on a portable data storage module which was switched out and downloaded approximately every 3 months. These data can be used to monitor long term trends and changes in vegetation in a rare, protected and never grazed grassland on the Colorado Plateau, and help with monitoring trends in similar dryland ecosystems.

本表格数据为监测美国峡谷地国家公园内一处未放牧草地的植被与生物土壤结皮（biocrust）覆盖情况而汇编。本研究的目标之一（或多项）为记录与土地利用变化、气候变化相关的生物土壤结皮、植被覆盖度及物种组成的潜在变化。本数据集涵盖1965年至2021年的长期植被与生物土壤结皮监测样地时间序列数据。数据采集点位位于美国犹他州峡谷地国家公园针区（Needles District）的弗吉尼亚公园（Virginia Park）。本数据集由美国地质调查局（U.S. Geological Survey）西南生物研究中心联合美国国家公园管理局（US National Park Service）完成采集。自1996年起，研究团队每年通过野外观测开展两次数据采集，分别为春季（4月至5月）与秋季（9月）。1998年设立的气象站通过便携式数据存储模块记录逐小时气温与降水数据，该模块约每3个月更换并下载一次观测数据。本数据集可用于监测科罗拉多高原上一处珍稀、受保护且未放牧的草地的植被长期变化趋势，同时可为同类旱地生态系统的变化趋势监测提供支持。