Snakeweed Patch Vegetation Quad Data at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, NM (1984, 1996)

In 1984, a research project was initiated on a relatively small disturbance patch just south of Deep Well. This disturbance was thought to be the result of an old praire dog town, probably dating back to when a nearby ranch was active, and a lot of old mammal mounds remained in the disturbed area. One of the things that made the disturbance patch particularily noticeable was the lush growth of snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae) within the patch. This prompted the designation of the disturbance patch as the "snakeweed patch" or "Gutierrezia patch." In addition, there was an obvious increase in bare ground and a shift in vegetation composition across the patch boundary. The dominant vegetation was not consistent around the boundary, with a marked dominance of black grama on the west side of the plot and a blue/black grama mix on the other three sides. To obtain information on the cause and/or effect of this disturbance, a survey of the soil and vegetation was performed. This database contains information collected during the vegetation monitoring that was done on the plot in 1984, as well as a follow-up measurement done in 1996. By 1996, virtually all of the snakeweed had died due to a dry period.