Title | Vegetation and soil patterns on Chihuahuan Desert bajada |
Publication Type | Thesis |
Year of Publication | 1977 |
Authors | Stein RA |
Number of Pages | 67 |
Date Published | 1977 |
University | New Mexico State University |
City | Las Cruces, New Mexico |
Thesis Type | M.S. Thesispp |
Call Number | 00317 |
Keywords | biogeochemistry,soil patterns, dissertation, dissertations, soil geomorphology, soil patterns, soil, nitrogen, theses, thesis, transect,soil patterns, transect,vegetation patterns |
Abstract | Vegetation an soils were sampled along a 1100 meter transect on a bajada in southern New Mexico in an effort to determine if present vegetation patterns are reflected in the soil.... It is thought that a hundred years ago this area was a grassland covered predominantly by Bouteloua sp. with scattered shrubs. present vegetational patterns are very different and this may be due to disturbance by grazing, which decrease the grass cover and opened areas to shrubs. In present Larrea tridentata areas, data for nitrogen and organic carbon indicate a significant deterioration of the original soils. It was observed on the study site that soil erosion was more extensive in the Larrea tridentata community than in the grassland communities. |