,This is digital research data corresponding to a manuscript, Above-ground plant properties are not leading indicators of grazing-induced soil carbon accrual in the Northern Great Plains, published in Ecological Indicators.,Little is known about how grazing-induced shifts in plant properties correspond with shifts in soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. To help fill this gap, we used data from a field experiment to test whether above-ground plant properties (i.e. biomass, species richness) act as leading indicators of grazing-induced SOC accrual in the Northern Great Plains, USA.,Our 5-yr bovine grazing experiment had a randomized complete block design and pre-treatment data. Moderate summer grazing (control) is widely used in the Northern Great Plains, and treatments that may alter grassland vegetation and SOC included: severe summer grazing, moderate fall grazing, and severe fall grazing. The four grazing treatments were applied to 20 paddocks (60 × 30 m) arranged in a randomized complete block design with 5 replications. Grazing intensities approximated recommended (i.e. moderate; 1 animal unit month [AUM] × ha-1 × year-1) and severe (1.5 AUM × ha-1 × year-1) stocking rates. Summer grazing occurred during the third week of June and fall grazing was after killing frosts at the end of October.,This study's dataset is of a subset of data for this grazing experiment. Given the study aim's, the dataset included a single measure of SOC stock (0-60 cm depth increment) and three plant properties (current-year above-ground biomass, older dead above-ground biomass, and plant species richness). SOC data were for 2013 and 2018 while plant data were for 2014 and 2017. Additional details can be found in the readme file, open access manuscript, and manuscript's supplement.,

These are the soil quality data for each county (listed by fips code) for each scenario. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Zhang, X., T. Lark, C. Clark, Y. Yuan, and S. LeDuc. Grassland-to-cropland conversion increased soil, nutrient, and carbon losses in the US Midwest between 2008 and 2016. Environmental Research Letters. IOP Publishing LIMITED, Bristol, UK, 16: 1-14, (2021).

These are the soil quality data for each county (listed by fips code) for each scenario. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Zhang, X., T. Lark, C. Clark, Y. Yuan, and S. LeDuc. Grassland-to-cropland conversion increased soil, nutrient, and carbon losses in the US Midwest between 2008 and 2016. Environmental Research Letters. IOP Publishing LIMITED, Bristol, UK, 16: 1-14, (2021).

,Nitrogen Rate Study for Greenhouse gas Reduction through Agricultural Carbon Enhancement network in Fort Collins, Colorado Nitrogen fertilization is essential for optimizing crop yields; however, it increases N2O emissions. These emissions were monitored from several irrigated cropping systems receiving N fertilizer rates ranging from 0-246 kg/ha from years 2002-2006. Cropping systems included conventional-till continuous corn and no-till continuous corn at varying N rates. Nitrous oxide fluxes were measured during four growing seasons using static, vented chambers and a gas chromatograph analyzer. This work shows that the use of no-till can potentially reduce N2O emissions from irrigated systems and increase soil carbon storage.,

,Nitrogen Source Study for Greenhouse gas Reduction through Agricultural Carbon Enhancement network in Fort Collins, Colorado Nitrogen fertilization is essential for optimizing crop yields; however, it increases N2O emissions. The study objective was to compare N2O emissions resulting from application of commercially available enhanced-effi ciency N fertilizers with emissions from conventional dry granular urea in irrigated cropping systems. These emissions were monitored from several irrigated cropping systems receiving N fertilizer rates ranging from 0-246 kg/ha from years 2007-2008 with intermediate rates of 157 kg/ha applied to the barley crop in corn-barley rotation and 56 kg/ha applied to the dry bens in the corn-dry bean rotation. Cropping systems included conventional-till continuous corn (CT-CC), no-till continuous corn (NT-CC), no-till corn–dry bean (NT-CDb), and no-till corn–barley (NT-CB). Nitrous oxide fluxes were measured during ten growing seasons using static, vented chambers and a gas chromatograph analyzer. This work shows that the use of no-till and enhanced-effi ciency N fertilizers can potentially reduce N2O emissions from irrigated systems.,

,Long-term deployment of dryland cropping systems can alter soil chemical properties in ways that lead to lower soil fertility. Few long-term experiments have investigated cropping intensity, tillage, and nitrogen fertilization effects on soil chemical properties in the northern Great Plains. Near-surface (0-7.6 cm) soil chemistry data were evaluated from two cropping systems (continuous cropping and crop-fallow), each split by tillage (no-, minimum, and conventional) and nitrogen rate (no/low, medium, high) treatments for 16 years. The experiment was established in 1984 on the Area IV Soil Conservation Districts Cooperative Research Farm near Mandan, North Dakota USA. Soil cores were collected in 1983 (prior to establishment of treatments) and again in 1999 from the surface 7.6-cm depth near the middle of each experimental plot using a hydraulic probe. Samples were dried, mechanically ground, and analyzed within 6 wk of collection. Soil pH was measured in a 1:1 soil/water mixture (by mass) with an ion-selective glass electrode. Exchangeable cations (Ca, Mg, K, and Na) were estimated by atomic absorption spectrometry. Data may be used to better understand cropping, tillage, and nitrogen fertilization effects on soil pH and exchangeable cations under dryland conditions in a semiarid continental climate. Applicable USDA soil types include Temvik, Wilton, Grassna, Linton, Mandan, and Williams.,Updated versions of two Excel files were uploaded on 5 February 2025 to remove extraneous information in the metadata tab. We apologize for the oversight.,

,Integrated crop-livestock systems have been identified as having positive agronomic and environmental outcomes, but information documenting their long-term impact on soil properties is lacking. An integrated crop-livestock study was conducted to evaluate the effects of residue management, frequency of hoof traffic, season, and production system (integrated annual cropping vs. perennial grass) on soil properties at the 0-7.5 cm depth from 2001 through 2008. The study was conducted at the USDA-ARS Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory, Mandan, North Dakota, USA. Soil bulk density, electrical conductivity, soil pH, extractable N and P, potentially mineralizable N, soil organic carbon, and total nitrogen were measured 3, 6, and 9 years after treatment establishment. Electrical conductivity and pH were estimated from a 1:1 soil-water mixture. Soil nitrate-N and ammonium-N were determined from 1:10 soil-KCl (2 M) extracts using cadmium reduction followed by a modified Griess-Ilosvay method and indophenol blue reaction. Plant-available soil P was estimated by bicarbonate extraction. Potentially mineralizable N was estimated from the ammonium-N accumulated after a 7-d anaerobic incubation. Total soil carbon and nitrogen were determined by dry combustion. Values for soil properties were incorporated into a soil quality index to assess production system effects on soil condition using the Soil Management Assessment Framework. Data may be used to understand integrated crop-livestock system impacts on near-surface soil properties. Data are generally applicable to cropland under a semiarid continental climate for the following USDA soil types: Grassna, Linton, Mandan, Temvik, Williams, and Wilton.,

,Incorporation of grazed cover crops in cropping systems can improve soil. However, information concerning how cover crops and livestock grazing interact during transitions to organic crop production is limited. An experiment was conducted to quantify soil responses to cover crops and grazing during a transition to organic crop production on a Tally sandy loam near Mandan, ND USA. Main-plot factors included grazing vs. no grazing, while split plot factors included six cropping treatments (soil-building cover crop mix, pollinator cover crop mix, weed suppression cover crop mix, multipurpose cover crop mix, annual crop rotation, and perennial forage biculture). Treatments were replicated four times. Soil samples were collected from 0-10 and 10-30 cm depths at the beginning and end of a 3-year organic transition period. Soil samples were evaluated for soil bulk density, soil pH, nitrate-N, available phosphorus, potassium, total soil nitrogen, soil organic carbon, and wet aggregate stability. Soil pH was estimated from a 1:1 soil-water mixture. Soil nitrate-N was determined from 1:10 soil-KCl (2 M) extracts using cadmium reduction followed by a modified Griess-Ilosvay method. Plant-available soil P was estimated by bicarbonate extraction. Exchangeable K was estimated by atomic absorption spectrometry. Total soil carbon and nitrogen were determined by dry combustion. Wet aggregate stability was analyzed for the 0-10 cm soil depth using the 1-2 mm aggregate fraction. Values for soil properties were incorporated into a soil quality index using the Soil Management Assessment Framework. Data may be used to understand soil responses to grazed and ungrazed cover crops under rainfed conditions in a semiarid continental climate. Related USDA soil types include Baggs, Baxton, Belain, Bitterroot, Chincap, Hopley, Mott, Panguitch, Relan, Vebar, and Victor.,

We studied the impacts of using cattle grazing or prescribed fire to manage remnant prairies on plant communities and soil characteristics in the prairie parkland province of western Minnesota. These datasets consist of nested frequency plot plant survey data, study site and soil characteristics, and management information taken from 73 sites owned and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, The Nature Conservancy and private land owners. Because management effects can take many years to become evident, we evaluated response variables on remnant prairies that had been subject to either fire or grazing for at least 10 years prior to our surveys, between 2005-2015.

,Nitrogen Source Study for Greenhouse gas Reduction through Agricultural Carbon Enhancement network in Fort Collins, Colorado Nitrogen fertilization is essential for optimizing crop yields; however, it increases N2O emissions. The study objective was to compare N2O emissions resulting from application of commercially available enhanced-effi ciency N fertilizers with emissions from conventional dry granular urea in irrigated cropping systems. These emissions were monitored from several irrigated cropping systems receiving N fertilizer rates ranging from 0-246 kg/ha from years 2007-2008 with intermediate rates of 157 kg/ha applied to the barley crop in corn-barley rotation and 56 kg/ha applied to the dry bens in the corn-dry bean rotation. Cropping systems included conventional-till continuous corn (CT-CC), no-till continuous corn (NT-CC), no-till corn–dry bean (NT-CDb), and no-till corn–barley (NT-CB). Nitrous oxide fluxes were measured during ten growing seasons using static, vented chambers and a gas chromatograph analyzer. This work shows that the use of no-till and enhanced-effi ciency N fertilizers can potentially reduce N2O emissions from irrigated systems.,