Soil volumetric water content calculated from neutron hydroprobe data at 15 NPP study locations at the Jornada Basin LTER site, 1989-ongoing

This data package contains soil water content data calculated from
monthly neutron hydroprobe count measurements made at 15 net primary
production (NPP) study locations on Jornada Experimental Range (JER)
and Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland Research Center (CDRRC) lands. Once
a month, neutron probe measurements are made at 10 depths (where
possible) at each of 10 access tubes at each of the 15 NPP sites
using a neutron probe (CPN Model 503DR Hydroprobe and CPN Model 503
Elite Hydroprobe). The raw dataset, also on EDI
(knb-lter-jrn.210013001), consists of the count of thermalized
neutrons at 30 cm depth intervals to a maximum depth of 300 cm. In
this data package, the raw neutron counts have been adjusted for
radioactive decay of the neutron source, then converted to
volumetric water content (VWC) to a maximum depth of 270 cm using
calibration equations (deepest probe depths are excluded from VWC
calculations). The NPP sites these measurements are made at
represent the 5 dominant vegetation types of the Jornada Basin,
which consist of 3 shrub (creosotebush, mesquite dune, and tarbush)
and 2 grass (upland grassland and playa) types. Three NPP sites are
located in each of the types. This data collection is ongoing with
new data collected monthly (updates to the EDI package may occur
less frequently). NOTE: This version of the dataset includes calibrated data
from a new hydroprobe unit that has recently been put into service.
Repair parts were no longer available for the older unit.