Summary & Purpose
The overarching goal of this study is to better understand the relationship between plant carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) isotopic signatures and climate in a sagebrush-steppe ecosystem. Additionally, this study seeks to a) determine how plant isotopic data in the sampled ecosystem compare with global patterns with respect to broader climate gradients; and b) evaluate any additional effects on plant isotopic compositions due to soil attributes (chemical, physical). Climatic effects on C and N isotopes were analyzed by examining plant and soil samples across a climatic gradient within the Reynolds Creek Critical Zone Observatory (RCCZO) (comprised of the USDA ARS Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed) located in the Owyhee Mountains in southwestern Idaho. Sampling focused on two subwatersheds (Johnston Draw and Whiskey Hills) in July 2015. Soil cores were obtained from both plant and interplant spaces, with a total of 480 samples (120 cores at 4 depth intervals). Samples of plants (n=120) present at each core location were collected at the same time soils were obtained to allow for evaluating relationships between soil and plant processes. At each plant location, samples consist of sagebrush foliar tissue, while samples from interplant plots often consisted of a mixture of grasses and forbs. Soil data include soil moisture, gravimetric water content, soil organic matter, stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes, percent carbon and nitrogen, initial/final/potential nitrate concentration, initial/final/potential ammonium concentration, net nitrification rate, potential net nitrification rate, net mineralization rate, potential net mineralization rate, and pH. Note: the majority of extractions for ammonium concentrations were contaminated so ammonium (and thus mineralization) data is largely unavailable for this study. Plant data includes stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes and percent carbon and nitrogen for sagebrush foliar tissues (perennial leaves only).
Date of Publication or Submission
7-10-2020
DOI
10.18122/reynoldscreek/20/boisestate
Funding Citation
This study was conducted in collaboration and cooperation with the USDA Agriculture Research Service, Northwest Watershed Research Center, Boise, Idaho, and landowners within the Reynolds Creek Critical Zone Observatory (RC CZO). Support for this research was provided by NSF for RC CZO Cooperative agreement NSF EAR-1331872 (Kathleen Lohse, Principal Investigator; Nancy Glenn, Co-Principal Investigator; Alejandro Flores, Co-Principal Investigator; Shawn Benner, Co-Principal Investigator; Mark Seyfried, Co-Principal Investigator). Data are available at the criticalzone.org data portal. Every sample at RC CZO is registered with an International Geo Sample Number through System for Earth Sample Registration (SESAR). The authors declare no financial conflicts.
Single Dataset or Series?
Single Dataset
Data Format
.xlsx, .csv, .txt
Within "Study Sites" folder: .cpg, .dbf, .prj, .sbn., .sbx, .shp, and .shx
Data Attributes
See files: Commendador_Metadata.xlsx or Commendador_Metadata.csv
Time Period
July 2015
Privacy and Confidentiality Statement
Boise State is explicitly compliant with federal and state laws surrounding data privacy including the protection of personal financial information through the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, personal medical information through HIPAA, HITECH and other regulations. All human subject data (e.g., surveys) has been collected and managed only by personnel with adequate human subject protection certification.
Use Restrictions
1. Use our data freely. All CZO, USGS, and USDA-ARS Data Products* except those labelled Private** are released to the public and may be freely copied, distributed, edited, remixed, and built upon under the condition that you give acknowledgement as described below. 2. Give proper acknowledgement. Publications, models and data products that make use of these datasets must include proper acknowledgement, including citing datasets in a similar way to citing a journal article (i.e. author, title, year of publication, name of CZO “publisher”, edition or version, and URL or DOI access information. See http://www.datacite.org/whycitedata). 3. Let us know how you will use the data. The dataset creators would appreciate hearing of any plans to use the dataset. Consider consultation or collaboration with dataset creators. *CZO Data Products. Defined as a data collected with any monetary or logistical support from a CZO.
Disclaimer of Warranty
BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE SUITABILITY OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN OR PROVIDED AS PART OF THE SYSTEM FOR ANY PURPOSE. ALL SUCH INFORMATION IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS WITH REGARD TO THIS INFORMATION, INCLUDING ALL WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.
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Recommended Citation
Commendador, Amy S.; Lohse, Kathleen A.; Finney, Bruce P.; and Aho, Ken A.. (2020). Dataset for Relationship Between Plant and Soil Isotopes and Climate in a Sagebrush-Steppe Ecosystem of Southern Idaho [Data set]. Retrieved from 10.18122/reynoldscreek/20/boisestate