Thaw depth measurements from a small mammal experiment from summer 2018-2022 near Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska

We conducted a manipulative experiment to quantify the impact of small mammal herbivores on the belowground biogeochemistry of the tundra at three sites near Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska. At each site we set up grazing fences in July of 2018 to simulate different levels of small mammal herbivore (vole and lemming) activity. Each site had 3 treatment plots and a control plot: 1)Exclosure treatments (EX) were 8 meter (m) x 8m square mesh fences 2) control plots (CT) were 8m x 8m unfenced plots marked with pin flags at corners 3) press treatments (PR) were 20m x 20m square mesh fences stocked with 4 brown lemmings (Lemmus trimucronatus) every summer and 4) pulse treatments (PU) where we stocked the fence with 4 lemmings in 2018 and then removed and excluded lemmings from 2019-2022. At each site we collected 10 thaw depth measurements along a transect from each treatment.本研究开展操控性实验，以量化小型哺乳类草食动物对阿拉斯加州乌特恰维克（巴罗，Utqiagvik (Barrow)）附近三处样地内苔原地下生物地球化学过程的影响。2018年7月，我们在每处样地搭建放牧围栏，以模拟不同强度的田鼠（vole）与旅鼠（lemming）活动水平。每处样地设置3组处理样地（treatment plots）与1组对照样地（control plot）：1）围栏排除处理组（Exclosure treatments, EX）：采用8米（m）×8米的方形网眼围栏；2）对照组（Control plots, CT）：为8m×8m的未围栏样地，四角以插旗标记；3）持续放牧处理组（Press treatments, PR）：为20m×20m的方形网眼围栏，每年夏季投放4只棕旅鼠（Lemmus trimucronatus）；4）脉冲干扰处理组（Pulse treatments, PU）：2018年向围栏内投放4只旅鼠，2019年至2022年期间移除并持续排除旅鼠活动。在每处样地的各处理样地内，沿一条样带采集10次解冻深度（thaw depth）测量数据。