Plant Litter Decomposition at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico (1990-1998)

The long-term goal of the decomposition study was to document the effects of climate variation on decomposition of major plant litter-types. The project began in 1989 and underwent changes of locations and litter types. The long-term litter types included black grama, Indian rice grass, juniper, and creosote.  Mass loss of the litter types can be compared to precipitation and other meteorological factors obtained at nearby locations.