Structure and Function of a Chihuahuan Desert Ecosystem: The Jornada Basin Long-Term Ecological Research Site

Front Cover
Kris M. Havstad, Laura F. Huenneke, William H. Schlesinger
Oxford University Press, Jul 20, 2006 - Science - 492 pages
The Jornada Basin LTER is located in the Chihuahuan Desert, the largest in North America. This region of south central New Mexico has a history of nearly 100 years as the basis for scientific research. This work gives a thorough, encompassing review of the tremendous array of observations resulting from experiments conducted in this ecosystem. Beginning with thorough descriptions of the most salient features of the region, the book then reviews a wide range of archived and active data sets on a diversity of biotic and abiotic features. It next presents a syntheses of important topics including livestock grazing and remediation efforts. A concluding chapter provides a synthesis of the principles that have emerged from this body of work, and how these relate to the broader fields of ecology and natural resource management. It concludes with recommendations for future research directions. The insightful views expressed in this volume should guide management of arid landscapes globally. This is the sixth volume in the Long Term Ecological Network Series.
 

Contents

1 Introduction
3
2 Regional Setting of the Jornada Basin
15
3 Climate and Climatological Variations in the Jornada Basin
44
4 Soil Development in the Jornada Basin
81
5 Patterns and Controls of Soil Water in the Jornada Basin
107
6 Nutrient Cycling within an Arid Ecosystem
133
7 Biogeochemical Fluxes across Piedmont Slopes of the Jornada Basin
150
8 Water and Energy Balances within the Jornada Basin
176
Effects on Ecosystem Properties and Processes
247
13 Grazing Livestock Management in an Arid Ecosystem
266
Past and Future
278
15 Applications of Remotely Sensed Data from the Jornada Basin
305
Lessons from the Jornada Basin
321
A Synthesis of Research and Its Applications
354
Applying an Interactive Landscape Model to Solve Problems
369
References
387

9 Eolian Processes on the Jornada Basin
189
The Dynamic Landscape
211
11 Patterns of Net Primary Production in Chihuahuan Desert Ecosystems
232

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