Over a 3-year period, soil-plant systems of velvet mesquite and palo verde from the Sonoran Desert were sampled by standing crop, litter, and soil components and analyzed to describe the amount and distribution of dry matter, nitrogen, and carbon in the systems. Honey mesquite was sampled on a limited basis in southern New Mexico. Velvet mesquite averaged about one-third larger in crown area and weight than palo verde, but the two shrubs were similar in the distribution of dry matter, N, and C. Honey mesquite was much smaller and differed in distribution of dry matter, N, and C. Regression analysis showed that dry matter, N, and C in components of shrub systems of velvet mesquite and palo verde varied in a predictable manner and can be estimated with good precision using height, average crown diameter, or crown area of shrubs as the independent variable. Functional analysis showed that soil under palo verde did not accumulate N or C with increase in shrub size, whereas that under velvet mesquite accumulated N at the rate of 11.2 g/m2 per meter of height and C at the rate of 0.11 kg/m2 per meter of height. This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information. Migrated from OJS platform August 2020
Scholarly peer-reviewed articles published by the Society for Range Management. Access articles on a rolling-window basis from vol. 1, 1948 up to 5 years from the current year. Formerly Journal of Range Management (JRM). More recent content is available by subscription from SRM.