Perennial grass tiller and stolon counts in plots with experimentally altered precipitation variability at the Jornada Basin LTER site, 2012-2014

This dataset contains perennial grass tiller and stolon counts
collected starting in 2012 for a long-term precipitation variability
manipulation experiment at the Jornada Basin LTER site in southern
New Mexico, U.S.A. The study was designed to assess the effect of
interannual variability in precipitation on average aboveground net
primary productivity (ANPP) in Chihuahuan Desert grasslands. The
study began in 2009, has five annual precipitation treatments, and
contains 50 plots (10 per treatment). This experiment uses
precipitation shelters and irrigation treatments to manipulate water
inputs to 2.5 x 2.5 meter plots in a desert grassland. There are
high, low, and ambient (control) precipitation variability
treatments. Ambient plots receive natural precipitation each year,
while variability treatments alternate between 20% and 180% (high
variability), or 50% and 150% (low variability) of ambient
precipitation each year. Perennial grass tiller and stolon counts
were made annually in each plot from 2012-2014. This is an ongoing
study and the dataset will be updated as needed.