Long-term monitoring in the face of biotic and abiotic influences at a semiarid site in north-central Chile

D.A. KELT; P.L. MESERVE; J.R. GUTIÉRREZ; W.B. MILSTEAD; M.A. PREVITALI

ECOLOGY

ECOLOGICAL SOC AMER

Año: 2013 p. 977 - 977

0012-9658

Since 1989, we have conducted a large-scale ecological experiment in semiarid thorn scrub of a national park in north-central Chile. Initially, we focused on the role of biotic interactions including predation, interspecific competition, and herbivory in small mammal and plant components of the community. We utilized a reductionist approach with replicated 0.56 ha fenced grids that selectively excluded vertebrate predators and/or larger small mammal herbivores such as the degu, Octodon degus.  In this Data Paper we provide data on small mammals captured, ephemeral and perennial plant cover, seed densities, and rainfall over a 16-year periods, from 1989 through 2005.