Below-Ground Net Primary Production (BNPP): Root Ingrowth Donuts in Chihuahuan Desert Grassland and Creosote Shrubland at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico

In 2005, annually harvested root ingrowth donut structures were co-located with previously established mini-rhizotron tubes established at four sites on McKenzie Flats located on the east side of Sevilleta NWR: 10 replicate structures in both burned and unburned blue and black grama dominated grassland plots at Deep Well, 10 replicates each on nitrogen fertilization plots and respective control plots on McKenzie Flats(20 total), 10 replicates in creosote dominated shrubland at the Five Points Creosote Core site and in 2011, 13 structures were put in the Monsoon site. Roots and soil are harvested annually in late fall after the growing season, and structures are reestablished in situ for consecutive harvests each year. Each structure allows roots to be harvested at two depths (0-15 and 15-30 cm) to estimate root production, or below ground net primary productivity. In order to compare estimates of root production from two methods, root ingrowth donuts were collocated with mini-rhizotron tubes at all localities except for the burned grassland plot at Deep Well.