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This dataset contains data for soil physical and chemical properties of gypsum and non-gypsum soils in the northern Chihuahuan and eastern Mojave Deserts. Data were obtained from 20 study sites total, 10 located on soils derived from gypsum parent material and 10 located on soils derived from non-gypsum parent materials. Sites were grouped into 10 pairs, in which every gypsum site was partnered with a non-gypsum site located in the same region. Apart from soil type, partnered-site characteristics (topography, climate, elevation, slope, aspect, and presence of biocrusts) were held relatively constant. Site info and characteristics data can be accessed at knb-lter-jrn.210616001. Soil physical properties included: percent gravel, percent < 2mm fraction, soil aggregate stability, and soil compaction. Soil chemical properties were: percent gypsum content, pH, EC, and soil soluble concentrations of calcium, magnesium, potassium, sulfur, and phosphorus. The resulting soil data was used to understand physical and chemical differences between gypsum and non-gypsum soils and to examine how biocrust community types and moss species abundance and composition were associated with the measured soil variables. This study and dataset are complete. 

This dataset contains raw and calculated percent cover and frequency data for biological soil crust (hereafter biocrust) functional groups, vascular plant functional groups, and abiotic land surface features on and off gypsum soils in the northern Chihuahuan and eastern Mojave Deserts. Abundance data were obtained from 20 study sites total, 10 located on soils derived from gypsum parent material and 10 located on soils derived from non-gypsum parent materials. Sites were grouped into 10 pairs, in which every gypsum site was partnered with a non-gypsum site located in the same region. Apart from soil type, partnered-site characteristics (topography, climate, elevation, slope, aspect, and presence of biocrusts) were held relatively constant. At each site, cover and frequency assessments were made using the line-point intercept method (LPI) and frequency quadrats (1.0 m^2), respectively. Biocrust functional groups included the following crusts: lichen, moss, incipient algal, light algal, dark algal, unknown photosynthetic crust, and vagrant cyanobacteria. Vascular plant categories included: perennial forbs, perennial graminoids, annual forbs, annual graminoids, subshrub, shrub, Yucca, and cacti. Abiotic land surface features included: woody litter, herbaceous litter, bare soil, rock, bedrock, and animal feces. Moss crusts identified within cover and frequency analyses were sampled, and classified to species level via microscopy. The resulting percent cover and frequency data was used to understand differences in biocrust and moss species abundance and diversity on and off gypsum soils; furthermore, how biocrust and moss species abundance was associated with the measured environmental variables. Soil physical and chemical data from this study can be accessed at knb-lter-jrn.210616002. This study and dataset are complete.