Warming experiment in a patagonian steppe: soil respiration, net carbon exchange and heat use efficiency

Abstract

This dataset contains environmental and carbon flux measurements collected from a passive warming experiment conducted in the Patagonian steppe using open-top chambers (OTC). The dataset includes continuous microclimatic records of soil temperature, air temperature, and soil volumetric water content measured under warming and control conditions from November 2023 to September 2025. Seasonal mesurements of soil respiration (Rsoil) are also included. In addition, patch-levl carbon fluxes were quantified for two dominant species of the ecosystem: the perennial grass Poa ligularis and the evergreen shrub Senecio filaginoides. For these patches, net carbon exchange (NEE), respiration (Reco), gross primary productivity (GPP), and heat use efficiency (HUE) were determined seasonally. The dataset further incorporates soil physicochemical properties and root biomass measurements. Together, these variables provide an integrated framework to evaluate the effects of passive warming on microclimate, soil processes, and ecosystem carbon dynamics in a semi-arid Patagonian steppe.