Monsoon Rainfall Manipulation Experiment (MRME) Soil Temperature, Moisture and Carbon Dioxide Data from the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico

The Monsoon Rainfall Manipulation Experiment (MRME) is designed to
understand changes in ecosystem structure and function of a semiarid
grassland caused by increased precipitation variability, by altering
rainfall pulses, and thus soil moisture, that drive primary
productivity, community composition, and ecosystem functioning. The
overarching hypothesis being tested is that changes in event size
and frequency will alter grassland productivity, ecosystem
processes, and plant community dynamics. Treatments include (1) a
monthly addition of 20 mm of rain in addition to ambient, and a
weekly addition of 5 mm of rain in addition to ambient during the
months of July, August and September. It is predicted that changes
in event size and variability will alter grassland productivity,
ecosystem processes, and plant community dynamics. In particular, we
predict that many small events will increase soil CO2 effluxes by
stimulating microbial processes but not plant growth, whereas a
small number of large events will increase aboveground NPP and soil
respiration by providing sufficient deep soil moisture to sustain
plant growth for longer periods of time during the summer monsoon.