Soil characteristics of two desert plant community types that occur in the los medaños area of southeastern new mexico
1983
SECOR, JACK B. | SHAMASH, SAIED | Smeal, Daniel | GENNARO, ANTONIO L.
We collected surface soil samples (0 to 6 in.) under four shrub species that are prominent members of two desert community types found in the Los Medaños area of southeastern New Mexico. These two community types are referred to as the Prosopis-Microrhamnus (PM) and Quercus-Artemisia (QA) habitat types. Soil samples were collected under the following shrub species: Prosopis glandulosa (PG) (mesquite), Microrhamnus ericoides (ME) (javelina bush), Quercus Hauardii (QH) (shinnery oak), and Artemisia filifolia (AF) (sagebrush). ME and PG are confined to the PM community, and QH and AF occur only in the QA vegetation type. Soil samples, collected once a month between June and August, were used for field moisture determinations, chemical analyses, dehydrogenase assays, organic matter content, and soil texture. Chemical analyses indicated that surface soils of the two community types contained significantly different levels of NH4-N, NO3-N, P, Ca, and Mg. Soil moisture content was significantly different for 1978 samples, but differences were not as prominent in the 1979 collections. Results of the dehydrogenase analyses indicated that in most cases the 37°C determinations yielded higher values than did the other two assay temperatures (10 and 50°C) for any given soil sample, and an increase in activity of thermophilic microorganisms appeared to be evident in some of the samples collected later in the summer. Of the soil parameters examined, the PM community type always exhibited the higher values; these differences have been explained in terms of the soil moisture, organic matter, and soil textural distinctions existing between these two vegetation types.
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