Monsoon Rainfall Manipulation Experiment (MRME) Meteorology Data from a Chihuahuan Desert Grassland at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico

The Monsoon Rainfall Manipulation Experiment (MRME) is to understand
changes in ecosystem structure and function of a semiarid grassland
caused by increased precipitation variability, which alters the
pulses of soil moisture that drive primary productivity, community
composition, and ecosystem functioning. The overarching hypothesis
being tested is that changes in event size and variability will
alter grassland productivity, ecosystem processes, and plant
community dynamics. In particular, we predict that many small events
will increase soil CO2 effluxes by stimulating microbial processes
but not plant growth, whereas a small number of large events will
increase aboveground NPP and soil respiration by providing
sufficient deep soil moisture to sustain plant growth for longer
periods of time during the summer monsoon.  These data were
collected at a meteorological station at the Monsoon Site.