Data from Long-Term Soil Change in the U.S. Great Plains: An Evaluation of the Haas Soil Archive

Detecting changes in soil properties under dryland cropping in the U.S. Great Plains can take decades. Long-term monitoring sites and the availability of archived soil samples can be used to understand soil change in this important agricultural region. Effects of dryland cropping on several soil properties were studied by comparing matched soil samples from 1947 and 2018 at three sites in the U.S. Great Plains: Moccasin, Montana, Akron, Colorado, and Big Spring, Texas. Contemporary analytical methods were used determine changes in soil texture, pH, carbon, nitrogen, and micronutrients at 0-6- and 6-12-inch depths. As a supplement to soil property data, daily precipitation, daily maximum air temperature, and daily minimum air temperature were compiled from on-site weather stations spanning the 71-year evaluation period. Data may be used to investigate long-term soil responses to dryland cropping in a semiarid continental climate. Applicable USDA soil types (by site) include Judith (Moccasin), Rago (Akron), and Amarillo (Big Spring).