Rangeland Ecosystem Data, Grand Canyon - Parashant National Monument, AZ, USA

These data were compiled for an assessment of rangeland ecosystem conditions of the Grand Canyon - Parashant National Monument. The approximately one-million-acre Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument (PARA) is located in the northwest corner of Arizona and co-managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and National Park Service (NPS). This report is focused on the ca. 200,000 acres of NPS administered lands—one of the largest NPS units where livestock grazing is a permitted land-use activity. Many ecosystems in PARA are characterized by a low degree of resilience to improper grazing due to low and variable precipitation. PARA is marked by an extremely high degree of environmental heterogeneity, including a large elevation gradient, widely differing precipitation patterns, a diversity of geologic substrates, and unique combinations of plant species. Locations for rangeland assessments were selected using a stratified, spatially balanced random sampling method based on allotment, soil type, slope, distance to cattle water locations, and accessibility. A total of 155 plots were established and sampled between March and November of 2012 and 2013. Data collection at each plot included soil geomorphic setting descriptions, plant and soil cover, and soil aggregate stability.