Sevilleta LTER Vegetation Sample Catalog- Ground Samples for Chemical Analysis

Several long-term studies at the Sevilleta LTER measure net primary production (NPP) across ecosystems and treatments. Net primary production is a fundamental ecological variable that quantifies rates of carbon consumption and fixation. Estimates of NPP are important in understanding energy flow at a community level as well as spatial and temporal responses to a range of ecological processes. The NPP weight data (SEV 157) is obtained by harvesting a series of covers for species observed during plot sampling. These species are always harvested from habitat comparable to the plots in which they were recorded. This data is then used to make volumetric measurements of species and build regressions correlating biomass and volume. From these calculations, seasonal biomass and seasonal and annual NPP are determined. These sampled are then vouchered for use to do analyses of inorganic and organic components such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous as well as and other macro and micro nutrients and organic components such as cellulose and lignin.