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) .