Dept. Plant & Environmental Sciences New Mexico State University
1. Soil as substrate—chemical and physical properties. 2. Landscape connections—cross-scale feedbacks. 3. Soil memory—legacy effects.
1. Soil as substrate—chemical and physical properties. 2. Landscape connections—cross-scale feedbacks 3. Soil memory—legacy effects. DESERT PROJECT Mountains & Hills
Basin Floor Piedmont Slope Jornada (Bajada) Exp. Range Headquarters Mountains & Hills
Mountains
& Hills
Rio Grande Valley
Basin Floors
New Mexico State Univ.
alluvial fill
Gile et al. 1981 SSSA Proc. 1966 NRCS SOIL CHARACTERIZATION DATA BASE NRCS SOIL CHARACTERIZATION DATA BASE
See papers by Duniway et al., Hennessy et al., Herbel et al.
1. Soil as substrate—chemical and physical properties. 2. Landscape connections—cross-scale feedbacks 3. Soil memory—legacy effects.
rhyolite alluvium gypsiferous clay quartzose eolian sand
broad scale erosion fine scale erosion
ORGAN PEAK
ORGAN PEAk 9000 ft
SOUTH- NORTH- FACING FACING (7000 ft) (7000 ft) SOUTH- FACING NORTH- FACING
SOUTH- FACING ORGAN PEAK deg ORGAN PEAK (5 cm) F
Nov Oct 2010 2011 deg ORGAN PEAK, (5 cm) F NORTH FACING
Nov Oct 2010 2011 deg NORTH FACING (5 cm) F
Nov Oct 2010 2011 ORGAN PEAK
April 2011 deg SOUTH FACING,(5 cm) F NORTH FACING
Nov Oct 2010 2011 deg SOUTH FACING (5 cm) F
Nov Oct 2010 2011 deg ORGAN MTNS TEMPERATURE (ALL SITES) F 5 cm
Nov Oct 2010 2011
NPP Sites
P Coll
G Basn
G Summ C Cali C Sand
Stellar (Ustic Calciargid)
Annual precipitation =
After Herbel et al. (1994) Stellar (Ustic Calciargid)
Annual precipitation =
Stellar (Ustic Calciargid). Run-in water excluded by metal border
Annual precipitation =
wind Texas Kansas
Okalahoma Okalahoma New New Mexico Mexico
Texas Texas Abiotic + Biotic Abiotic + Biotic
Abiotic + Biotic Abiotic + Biotic Abiotic + Biotic Abiotic + Biotic Over Grazing Over Grazing
1. Soil as substrate—chemical and physical properties. 2. Landscape connections—cross-scale feedbacks 3. Soil memory—legacy effects. Soil profiles reflect bioclimatic regions Soil profiles reflect bioclimatic regions My memory is like scratching steel— hard to do, but once done, the scratch remains for a long time.
—Abraham Lincoln
How sensitive? How durable?
GLACIAL-INTERGLACIAL CYCLES
From Morrison ed. (1994); Imbrie et al. (1984) Cool-moist glacial periods 20,000 yrs ago
Hot-dry interglacial periods From Morrison ed. (1994); Imbrie et al. (1984) VIEW FROM INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
Glacial-Pluvial Lakes
San Agustin Lake Estancia
Lake Otero
Las Cruces Allen 2005 Las Cruces Columbus
Lake Palomas Columbus, NM
NASA World Wind Image Torreon resistant
PIPE resistant Soil Memory “Pedokarst”
PIPE
ca. 20 ka How sensitive? How durable?
years AD after Lamb 1977, Broecker 2001 sensitive Carbon isotopic memory of C4 photosynthesis
H.C. Monger sensitive Carbon isotopic memory of C4 photosynthesis
H.C. Monger Carbon isotopic memory of C4 photosynthesis
NMSU Hwy 70 Las Cruces
North NASA World Wind Landsat 7 pseudocolor Carbon isotopic memory of C4 photosynthesis
NASA World Wind Landsat 7 pseudocolor Carbon isotopic memory of C4 photosynthesis
NASA World Wind USGS 1m digital ortho Carbon isotopic memory of C4 photosynthesis
NASA World Wind USGS 1m digital ortho Carbon isotopic memory of C4 photosynthesis
NASA World Wind USGS 1m digital ortho Carbon isotopic memory of C4 photosynthesis
Google Earth Image Carbon isotopic memory of C4 photosynthesis Carbon isotopic memory of C4 photosynthesis
bare grass dune ground A horizon Btk horizon
K horizon
Weems and Monger (2012) Ecosphere
C3 shrubs C grass on dune bare 4 ground
-14.0 permil -16.6 permil -16.1 permil -17.6 permil
(100% C4) (81% C4) (76% C4) (67% C4) SOIL MEMORY—A TOOL FOR UNDERSTANDING AN EXPANDING ARIDOSPHERE
1. Soil as substrate—chemical and physical properties. 2. Landscape connections—cross-scale feedbacks 3. Soil memory—legacy effects. High Overprinting Lower Overprinting High Overprinting Jornada I surface (ca. 120,000 years)
Jornada I surface (ca. 600,000 years)