Data from: Soil heterotrophic respiration after irrigation retirement is differentially influenced by moisture and substrate availability over time
Data files
Mar 23, 2026 version files 76.51 KB
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ARDEC_SoilRespiration_Dataset_Anon.xlsx
70.19 KB
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README.md
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Abstract
Water limitations are forcing producers to transition large areas of currently irrigated farmland into dryland agriculture across the Western U.S. with unclear effects on global soil carbon (C) dynamics. An experiment established in 2017 in a no-till, maize system in Colorado suggested that soil heterotrophic respiration (Rh) following irrigation retirement was co-regulated by water and available C. The experimental design has 4 replicate blocks of two randomized irrigation treatments (irrigated and dryland) and 3 plant treatments (planted, long-term fallow, and yearly fallow) within each irrigation plot. We continued Rh measurements in 2021-2022 along with monthly soil samplings to explore the interactive effects of soil moisture and available C on microbial community composition and activity. This dataset includes data from 10 monthly samplings in 2021-2022 for soil moisture, dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen, total and grouped sums of bacteria, fungi, actinobacteria and protozoa fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) biomarkers, enzyme activity, and soil respiration.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.2jm63xt2n
Files and variables
File: ARDEC_SoilRespiration_Dataset_Anon.xlsx
Description: Site description: Data collected from a field experiment established in 2017 at Colorado State University’s Agricultural Research Development and Education Center (ARDEC) near Fort Collins, CO (40.65444 deg N, 104.99861 deg W; 1555 m a.s.l). The site is characterized by an average annual precipitation of 408 mm and annual mean temperature of 10.2°C (1981-2010 average, usclimatedata.com). The soil is classified as a Fort Collins loam (Aridic Haplustalfs). Sampling methods: surface soil samples (0-10 cm) were collected using a 2-cm diameter soil probe at 10 time points (August through October 2021 and May through October 2022). Triplicate soil cores were collected in linear transects within each subplot and main planted plot, homogenized, sieved to 2 mm, and separated into subsamples for the various analyses within hours after collection.
Variables
| Variable Column Header | Description | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| sampling | sampling time point reference # | |
| month | month soil sample collected | |
| year | year sample collected | |
| block | block number | |
| plot | plot number | |
| irrigation | Irrigation treatment (Irrigated or Dryland) | |
| plant_input | LTF = long-term fallow; YF= only fallow in current year (received residue inputs in prior years); planted= planted to maize | |
| treatment | combined irrigation and plant input treatment identifier | |
| percent_water | % gravimetric water content | 100*(g water/g soil) |
| DOC | dissolved organic carbon | ug C/g soil |
| DON | dissolved organic nitrogen | ug N/g soil |
| BGLUC | beta glucosidase enyzme activity | umol/h/g soil |
| NAG | _-1, 4-n-acetyl-glucosaminidase activity | umol/h/g soil |
| BCELL | _-D-1,4-cellobiosidase activity | umol/h/g soil |
| LAP | Leucine amino peptidase activity | umol/h/g soil |
| total_fame | Sum of all PLFA | nmol/g soil |
| euk | Sum of eukoryotic PLFA markers | nmol/g soil |
| bac_sum | Sum of baterial PLFA markers | nmol/g soil |
| fung_sum | Sum of fungal PLFA markers | nmol/g soil |
| gpos_sum | Sum of gram positive bacteria PLFA markers | nmol/g soil |
| gneg_sum | Sum of gram positive negative PLFA markers | nmol/g soil |
| actino_sum | Sum of actinobacteria PLFA markers | nmol/g soil |
| AMF | Sum of arbuscular mycorrhizal PLFA markers | nmol/g soil |
| date | Date of soil respiration measurement selected to pair with soil sampling time point | |
| resp | Respiration rate | umol/m2/s |
| temp | Soil temperature at time of respiration measurement (0-10cm) | degrees C |
| moist | Volumetric soil water content at time of respiration measurement (0-10cm) |