Soil, geologic, geomorphic, climate, and vegetation data from long-term monitoring plots (2009 - 2018) in Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef National Parks, Utah, USA
Data for journal manuscript: Geologic, geomorphic, and edaphic underpinnings of dryland ecosystems—Colorado Plateau landscapes in a changing world: Ecosphere
Dates
Publication Date
2022-08-30
Start Date
2009
End Date
2018
Citation
Knight, A.C., Benson, C., Nauman, T.W., Witwicki, D., Livensperger, C., and Duniway, M.C., 2022, Soil, geologic, geomorphic, climate, and vegetation data from long-term monitoring plots (2009 - 2018) in Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef National Parks, Utah, USA: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P92Z8NDP.
Summary
These data (all data tables for the data release) represent a suite of biotic and abiotic variables that characterized plant communities and the geologic, geomorphic, edaphic, climatic, and land use history context in which distinct plant communities occur. In 2009, the National Park Service's Inventory and Monitoring program for the Northern Colorado Plateau Network (NCPN) began measuring vegetation cover and site characteristics at monitoring plots stratified across different vegetation types within national parks on the Colorado Plateau. NCPN biologists remeasured vegetation cover at these plots in a rotating panel over the following decade. In 2019, U. S. Geological Survey geologists and soil scientists collected/compiled soil [...]
Summary
These data (all data tables for the data release) represent a suite of biotic and abiotic variables that characterized plant communities and the geologic, geomorphic, edaphic, climatic, and land use history context in which distinct plant communities occur. In 2009, the National Park Service's Inventory and Monitoring program for the Northern Colorado Plateau Network (NCPN) began measuring vegetation cover and site characteristics at monitoring plots stratified across different vegetation types within national parks on the Colorado Plateau. NCPN biologists remeasured vegetation cover at these plots in a rotating panel over the following decade. In 2019, U. S. Geological Survey geologists and soil scientists collected/compiled soil pit, geologic/geomorphic setting, climate, and livestock grazing history data at a subset of 135 of the NCPN plots. We examined correlations between soil properties and geologic/geomorphic variables to understand the influence of geologic and geomorphic setting on soil formation. We identified distinct plant communities from the vegetation cover data using hierarchical cluster analysis and nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS). We then assessed relationships among vegetation clustering and NMDS results, soils, geology/geomorphology, and climate using random forest models to determine the abiotic conditions associated with specific plant communities. These data can be used to analyze landscape-scale relationships among plant communities and the abiotic contexts in which they occur; assess the distribution of native and non-native plant species across abiotic gradients; and examine relationships among geologic, geomorphic, and edaphic properties. The observational nature of these data and high correlation among some abiotic variables may complicate efforts to determine causal relationships within this data set.
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Related External Resources
Type: Related Primary Publication
Duniway, M.C., Benson, C., Nauman, T.W., Knight, A., Bradford, J.B., Munson, S.M., Witwicki, D., Livensperger, C., Van Scoyoc, M., Fisk, T.T., Thoma, D., and Miller, M.E., 2022, Geologic, geomorphic, and edaphic underpinnings of dryland ecosystems—Colorado Plateau landscapes in a changing world: Ecosphere (online), https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4273.
The purpose of these data is to examine relationships among upland vegetation, soils, geology/geomorphology, climate conditions, and land use history in national parks on the Colorado Plateau. The goals of this study were 1) to quantitatively assess the impacts of geologic and geomorphic setting on soil properties and 2) to understand how soil and geologic/geomorphic context, climate, and historic livestock grazing shape plant communities. They also provide a baseline for understanding potential future dynamics of dryland plant communities, including spatial patterns of ecosystem degradation, exotic plant invasion, and results of climate change.
Rights
The author(s) of these data request that data users contact them regarding intended use and to assist with understanding limitations and interpretation. Unless otherwise stated, all data, metadata and related materials are considered to satisfy the quality standards relative to the purpose for which the data were collected. Although these data and associated metadata have been reviewed for accuracy and completeness and approved for release by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data for other purposes, nor on all computer systems, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty.
