Plant Cover at Permanent Quad Locations on the Jornada Experimental Range, 1915-ongoing

This ongoing data set contains basal cover of perennial grasses and
canopy cover of shrubs in 122 1m x 1m quadrats on the Jornada
Experimental Range in the northern extent of the Chihuahuan Desert of
New Mexico, USA. These quadrats were established to investigate
livestock grazing effects on plant community dynamics as well as
responses to variable climatic conditions over time. Vegetation
monitoring is carried out by charting the basal areas of perennial
grasses and canopy areas of shrubs within each quadrat. Quadrats were
established at different times, with start dates from 1915 to 1932.
Specific quadrat locations were selected for a variety of reasons, but
the overall intent was to represent varying plant community conditions
across the Jornada Experimental Range. From 1915 to 1924 charting was
done by dividing the quadrat frame into a decimeter grid using straps
and reproducing locations of plants on grid paper. From 1925 to 2016
charting was done using a pantograph. With few exceptions, quadrats
were charted until 1947, and a portion of the quadrats were charted
intermittently between 1947 and 1979. Sampling resumed again in 1995
and continues every 5-6 years. Charts are digitally scanned,
georeferenced, and chart features are digitally reproduced by hand.
This data set is not yet complete; charts are actively being processed
by Jornada Experimental Range staff and will be updated to this data
package as they become available. A companion data package of counts
of perennial forbs and subshrubs for each quadrat is also available
for this project (data package knb-lter-jrn.210351002).