Supplementary Material
For Online Publication Only
Appendix A – Additional site and water balance data
Table A1. Key features of 20 Intermountain study sites (weather stations) used in our simulation analysis.
Site Name / Lat(degN) / Long
(degW) / MAT1
°C / MAP3
mm / Snow/MAP4
% / PET5
mm / Corr8
(MAT, MAP) / Grasses
(%) / Shrubs
(%)
SELIGMAN / 35.33 / -112.88 / 12.47 / 328 / 6 / 1419 / 0.15 / 52 / 48
DOYLE 4 SSE / 39.97 / -120.08 / 10.06 / 389 / 9 / 1170 / -0.46 / 30 / 70
CIMARRON / 38.44 / -107.56 / 5.63 / 357 / 27 / 1128 / 0.14 / 46 / 54
DINOSAUR NATL MONUMNT / 40.24 / -108.97 / 8.97 / 296 / 17 / 1249 / 0.18 / 43 / 57
MAYBELL / 40.52 / -108.09 / 5.68 / 331 / 30 / 1094 / -0.04 / 44 / 56
HILL CITY 1 W / 43.30 / -115.07 / 5.42 / 358 / 41 / 978 / -0.49 / 39 / 61
OAKLEY / 42.23 / -113.90 / 9.37 / 289 / 12 / 1173 / 0.04 / 41 / 59
PICABO / 43.31 / -114.07 / 5.96 / 326 / 42 / 1042 / -0.43 / 38 / 62
EUREKA / 39.52 / -115.96 / 7.95 / 293 / 35 / 1249 / -0.23 / 35 / 65
OROVADA 3 W / 41.57 / -117.84 / 9.50 / 261 / 15 / 1166 / -0.36 / 29 / 71
RD ROCK SPG MT RCH SP / 36.07 / -115.46 / 15.95 / 283 / 5 / 1813 / -0.26 / 28 / 72
MILTON FREEWATER / 45.94 / -118.41 / 12.34 / 414 / 8 / 1226 / -0.52 / 38 / 62
SUMMER LAKE 1 S / 42.96 / -120.79 / 10.01 / 336 / 10 / 1039 / -0.41 / 34 / 66
GARFIELD / 40.72 / -112.20 / 12.52 / 472 / 11 / 1384 / -0.21 / 52 / 48
MANTI / 39.26 / -111.63 / 8.85 / 352 / 22 / 1227 / -0.11 / 43 / 57
POMEROY / 46.47 / -117.59 / 10.21 / 448 / 13 / 1109 / -0.55 / 42 / 58
SARATOGA / 41.45 / -106.81 / 6.42 / 261 / 28 / 1105 / 0.25 / 43 / 57
POCATELLO RGNL AP / 42.92 / -112.57 / 8.12 / 306 / 22 / 1166 / -0.23 / 37 / 63
SPOKANE INTL AP / 41.87 / -103.59 / 8.73 / 423 / 19 / 1016 / -0.51 / 41 / 59
DALLESPORT AP / 44.04 / -103.05 / 12.52 / 362 / 10 / 1136 / -0.71 / 23 / 77
1 Mean annual temperature 2 Mean annual precipitation 3 Mean annual snowfall divided by MAP 4 Potential evapotranspiration
5 Correlation coefficient between monthly temperature and monthly precipitation (Sala and others 1997)
Table A2. Key features of our 20 Great Plains study sites (weather stations) used in our simulation analysis.
.
Site Name / Lat(degN) / Long
(degW) / MAT1
°C / MAP2
mm / Snow/MAP3
% / PET4
mm / Corr5
(MAT, MAP) / Grasses
(%) / Shrubs
(%)
SGS LTER / 40.81 / -104.75 / 9.89 / 360 / 11 / 1314 / 0.61 / 89 / 11
CAMPO 7 S / 37.02 / -102.56 / 12.58 / 436 / 9 / 1489 / 0.54 / 93 / 7
JOHN MARTIN DAM / 38.06 / -102.93 / 12.24 / 351 / 8 / 1487 / 0.55 / 87 / 13
PUEBLO RSVR / 38.26 / -104.72 / 11.69 / 333 / 10 / 1400 / 0.50 / 83 / 17
COHAGEN / 47.06 / -106.62 / 7.37 / 303 / 13 / 1140 / 0.51 / 78 / 23
DEL BONITA / 49.00 / -112.79 / 4.95 / 354 / 20 / 968 / 0.50 / 76 / 24
GERALDINE / 47.60 / -110.27 / 8.06 / 412 / 19 / 1102 / 0.40 / 83 / 17
MALTA 35 S / 47.84 / -107.96 / 6.79 / 306 / 11 / 1060 / 0.51 / 80 / 20
OPHEIM 10 N / 49.00 / -106.38 / 4.13 / 315 / 11 / 938 / 0.60 / 73 / 27
REDSTONE / 48.82 / -104.94 / 5.00 / 316 / 12 / 999 / 0.59 / 83 / 17
SACO 1 NNW / 48.47 / -107.35 / 5.62 / 307 / 15 / 1057 / 0.48 / 77 / 23
GRENVILLE / 36.59 / -103.62 / 10.77 / 438 / 9 / 1422 / 0.61 / 96 / 5
NEWKIRK / 35.07 / -104.26 / 14.35 / 408 / 7 / 1588 / 0.54 / 88 / 12
ROY / 35.94 / -104.20 / 11.07 / 424 / 10 / 1436 / 0.59 / 90 / 10
SAN JON / 35.11 / -103.33 / 15.07 / 463 / 8 / 1616 / 0.49 / 90 / 11
MOTT / 46.37 / -102.32 / 6.10 / 407 / 17 / 1041 / 0.53 / 89 / 11
DUPREE 15 SSE / 44.87 / -101.47 / 7.91 / 471 / 13 / 1124 / 0.56 / 98 / 2
TRINIDAD AP / 37.26 / -104.34 / 11.22 / 348 / 16 / 1407 / 0.48 / 80 / 20
SCOTTSBLUFF AP / 41.87 / -103.59 / 9.33 / 402 / 18 / 1204 / 0.41 / 85 / 15
RAPID CITY RGNL AP / 44.04 / -103.05 / 8.47 / 413 / 15 / 1180 / 0.46 / 91 / 9
1 Mean annual temperature 2 Mean annual precipitation 3 Mean annual snowfall divided by MAP 4 Potential evapotranspiration
5 Correlation coefficient between monthly temperature and monthly precipitation (Sala and others 1997)
Table A3. Annual water balance of our 20 Intermountain study sites (weather stations).
Site Name / MAP1mm / AET2
(mm) / T3
mm) / TAET
(%) / E4
(mm) / EAET
(%) / Snow Loss
(mm) / Deep
Loss
(mm)
SELIGMAN / 328 / 302 / 159 / 52 / 143 / 48 / 10 / 24
DOYLE 4 SSE / 388 / 266 / 143 / 53 / 123 / 47 / 13 / 124
CIMARRON / 357 / 337 / 143 / 41 / 194 / 59 / 60 / 19
DINOSAUR NATL MNMNT / 296 / 279 / 106 / 36 / 173 / 64 / 36 / 14
MAYBELL / 331 / 308 / 127 / 39 / 181 / 61 / 58 / 23
HILL CITY 1 W / 358 / 273 / 138 / 50 / 135 / 50 / 50 / 80
OAKLEY / 289 / 275 / 115 / 41 / 161 / 59 / 21 / 12
PICABO / 326 / 273 / 136 / 49 / 137 / 51 / 47 / 53
EUREKA / 293 / 274 / 118 / 42 / 156 / 58 / 54 / 19
OROVADA 3 W / 260 / 242 / 109 / 44 / 133 / 56 / 19 / 14
RD ROCK SPG MT RCH SP / 283 / 254 / 166 / 64 / 88 / 36 / 4 / 23
MILTON FREEWATER / 413 / 366 / 195 / 53 / 171 / 47 / 15 / 47
SUMMER LAKE 1 S / 335 / 290 / 138 / 47 / 153 / 53 / 14 / 46
GARFIELD / 472 / 417 / 223 / 53 / 194 / 47 / 28 / 54
MANTI / 352 / 328 / 143 / 43 / 185 / 57 / 42 / 21
POMEROY / 448 / 363 / 186 / 51 / 177 / 49 / 21 / 86
SARATOGA / 261 / 251 / 77 / 29 / 174 / 71 / 53 / 11
POCATELLO RGNL AP / 306 / 286 / 115 / 38 / 172 / 62 / 40 / 19
SPOKANE INTL AP / 422 / 331 / 180 / 54 / 152 / 46 / 23 / 89
DALLESPORT AP / 361 / 281 / 145 / 51 / 136 / 49 / 13 / 82
Average / 344 / 300 / 143 / 47 / 157 / 54 / 31 / 43
Minimum / 260 / 242 / 77 / 29 / 88 / 36 / 4 / 11
Maximum / 472 / 417 / 223 / 64 / 194 / 71 / 60 / 124
Coefficient of Variation (%) / 17 / 15 / 24 / 17 / 17 / 15 / 58 / 77
1 Mean annual precipitation 2Annual evapotranspiration 3Transpiration 4 Evaporation
Table A4. Annual water balance of our Great Plains study sites (weather stations).
Site Name / MAP1mm / AET2
(mm) / T3
mm) / TAET
(%) / E4
(mm) / EAET
(%) / Snow Loss
(mm) / Deep
Loss
(mm)
SGS LTER / 360 / 348 / 159 / 44 / 189 / 56 / 24 / 12
CAMPO 7 S / 436 / 421 / 238 / 55 / 183 / 45 / 21 / 15
JOHN MARTIN DAM / 351 / 339 / 181 / 52 / 158 / 48 / 17 / 12
PUEBLO RSVR / 333 / 323 / 148 / 43 / 176 / 57 / 22 / 10
COHAGEN / 303 / 292 / 120 / 40 / 172 / 60 / 28 / 11
DEL BONITA / 354 / 335 / 165 / 48 / 170 / 52 / 45 / 18
GERALDINE / 412 / 398 / 185 / 46 / 214 / 54 / 44 / 14
MALTA 35 S / 306 / 291 / 128 / 43 / 164 / 57 / 25 / 13
OPHEIM 10 N / 315 / 303 / 146 / 47 / 157 / 53 / 27 / 12
REDSTONE / 316 / 305 / 142 / 45 / 163 / 55 / 30 / 12
SACO 1 NNW / 307 / 293 / 130 / 43 / 163 / 57 / 33 / 12
GRENVILLE / 438 / 423 / 235 / 55 / 188 / 45 / 23 / 14
NEWKIRK / 408 / 394 / 232 / 58 / 163 / 42 / 15 / 13
ROY / 424 / 413 / 238 / 57 / 176 / 43 / 26 / 11
SAN JON / 463 / 453 / 273 / 59 / 180 / 41 / 17 / 13
MOTT / 407 / 388 / 201 / 51 / 187 / 49 / 43 / 21
DUPREE 15 SSE / 471 / 437 / 235 / 53 / 202 / 47 / 40 / 34
TRINIDAD AP / 348 / 337 / 148 / 42 / 189 / 58 / 34 / 11
SCOTTSBLUFF AP / 402 / 387 / 176 / 44 / 211 / 56 / 44 / 14
RAPID CITY RGNL AP / 413 / 395 / 185 / 45 / 210 / 55 / 39 / 19
Average / 378 / 364 / 183 / 49 / 181 / 52 / 30 / 15
Minimum / 303 / 291 / 120 / 40 / 157 / 41 / 15 / 10
Maximum / 471 / 453 / 273 / 59 / 214 / 60 / 45 / 34
Coefficient of Variation( %) / 15 / 15 / 25 / 12 / 10 / 12 / 33 / 37
1 Mean annual precipitation 2Annual evapotranspiration 3Transpiration 4 Evaporation
Figure A1. Long-term (30 year) simulated mean daily soil water content in the 0-30 cm layer for 20 Intermountain sites (A) and 20 Great Plains sites (B). The bold black lines are the means of the sites. These data reinforce the storage and pulse natures of intermountain (IM) and Great Plains (GP) sites respectively. Despite the large amount of variability in both regions, on average soil water at the IM sites is recharged by fall, winter, and early spring water inputs and dries out by mid to late summer. The only indication of a recharge period for the GP sites is the increase from early to late spring. Otherwise all of the soil water fluctuations are small and of short duration.
Figure A2. Long-term (30 year) simulated mean daily ratio of precipitation/potential evapotranspiration for 20 Intermountain (IM) and 20 Great Plains (GP) sites. The high values for the IM are associated with the winter-wet season and the low values with the summer dry season. Values for the GP are low throughout the year reflecting the general ecological dryness of the region. The extreme low summer values for the IM explain the lower minimum soil water potentials simulated for the IM compared to the GP.
Literature Cited
Sala, O. E., W. K. Lauenroth and R. A. Gollucio. 1997. Semiarid plant functional types in temperate semiarid regions. In: T. M. Smith, H. H. Shugart and F. I. Woodward. (eds.) Plant functional types. Cambridge University Press.