mojave global change facility

The MGCF was developed in conjunction with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and DOE-EPSCoR programs.

Rationale of the Mojave Global Change Facility (MGCF) 

A new effort has been initiated to examine the impact of global climate change factors other than increased CO₂ on the Mojave Desert Ecosystem. Global climate change models have predicted that rising levels of atmospheric CO₂ will increase summer monsoon rains in the Mojave Desert. Predicted increases in urbanization and cattle grazing will result in increased nitrogen deposition and disturbance or destruction of the soil crust. The cryptobiotic crust, which is present at the surface of most desert soils, plays an important role in making nitrogen available to desert plants. Three treatments based on these predictions will be applied to the 96 MGCF plots (14 by 14 m). These treatments include three summer irrigation treatments, two levels of nitrogen fertilization (10 and 40 kg/ha), and crust disturbance. A randomized block design was used to establish the treatments for each plot. The results from the MGCF will be combined with data from NDFF to make predictions on the overall impact of future climate on the Mojave Desert, which in turn can assist with better land management, restoration, revegetation, and various clean-up efforts.

(Above) Predicted increase in global precipitation runoff (mm/year), adapted from IPCC Third assessment report, 2001.