Vegetation measurements of production and offtake in cottonwood communities of the Great Sand Dunes ecosystem, Colorado, 2005-2009.

These data provide measurements of cottonwood production and herbaceous production in cottonwood communities of the Great Sand Dunes National Park ecosystem in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, from 2005-2009. These data also include cottonwood browsing rates. The study area was stratified into 2 ungulate strata: areas with elk and bison herbivory, and areas with just elk herbivory (bison not present). Ungulate exclosures were erected in 2005, with n= 4 exclosures and paired grazed sites in elk-only areas, and n=4 exclosures and paired grazed sites in elk + bison areas. We measured sapling density inside and outside exclosures, height of cottonwoods inside and outside of exclosures, herbaceous production, baseline browsing rate of cottonwoods in summer 2005 (pre-treatment) and subsequent years of mean percent cottonwood twig utilization. We also present Index depth to water (cm), measured at nearest well to site at time of maximal water table height (late June) for spring/summer 2007.