Soil volumetric water content calculated from neutron hydroprobe data along the LTER-I transects (control and fertilized) at the Jornada Basin LTER, 1986-ongoing

This data package contains volumetric water content (VWC) measurements calculated from soil neutron hydroprobe data collected on the permanent LTER-I transects located at Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland Research Center (CDRRC) in the Jornada Basin of southern New Mexico, USA. The control and treatment transects are parallel to each other and are 2.7 km in length extending from the middle of the College Playa to the foot of Mt. Summerford. The treatment transect was treated annually with ammonium nitrate fertilizer (NH4NO3 at 10g N/m2/yr) until 1987. Measurement stations are located at 30 meter intervals along each transect, and there are neutron probe access tubes located every station on the control transect (n=89) and at every fifth station at the treatment transect (n=19). Measurements were taken at 5 depths using a neutron probe (CPN Model 503DR Hydroprobe) and were then converted to VWC at 30 cm, 60 cm, 90 cm, 110 cm, and 130 cm depths. Neutron probe VWC readings taken in 3 non-weighing mini-lysimeters along each transect are also included. This dataset consists of the calculated water content (cm3 water/cm3 soil) obtained by applying site-specific calibration equations to data derived from the thermalized neutron counts found in EDI packageID knb-lter-jrn.210001001. Measurements were taken at 2 week intervals from April 1982 to 1987 and monthly thereafter. Data collection for this study is ongoing.