Eelgrass collection and transplantation data Washington State, USA
Description
The dataset represents empirical data collected on eelgrass (Zostera marina) donor site recovery and eelgrass transplantation success in Willapa Bay Washington, USA. Our goal was to evaluate the effects of collection intensity on fringing and upper margin intertidal eelgrass beds and the role of transplant density and plot size in transplant success. We used 4 main approaches 1) we collected shoots from a low and high intertidal eelgrass bed and compared differences in their morphological traits, 2) we implemented a collection intensity experiment at a low and high elevation eelgrass bed and removed 50%, 80%, and 100% of the shoots from within plots and compared their rate of recovery back to reference plot densities, 3) we transplanted eelgrass shoots collected from donor sites into 4 different plot sizes (0.0625 m2, 0.25 m2, 1 m2, 4 m2) that were crossed with three shoot density levels (low: 25 shoots m2, medium: 64 shoots m2, high: 125 shoots m2) and tracked shoot retention within the first two month, then plot infilling and population growth one and two years post transplantation, 4) we assessed the establishment of an important ecological service (sediment deposition) by tracking changes in fine and organic particle accumulation inside our largest densest eelgrass plots and the adjacent non-eelgrass area.
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5-core shrimp sampling methodology: Multiple small-diameter cores were used to generate a single sample of shrimp density (“5-core sample”). At each sample position, we cored 5 points within 1 m2. The core was constructed of stainless steel (13 cm diameter, 36 cm long) with an attached handle, so several pulls were required per point to reach the target depth of 70 cm into the sediment. The sediment removed from each core was manually spread out to search for shrimp, which provide a vibrant yellow-pink contrast to sediment. Total shrimp counts can then be scaled to shrimp 1m2 by multiplying by 16. Total shoot counts within plots: For the transplant data, all shoots counted within 0.25 m2 quadrats from within a single shoot density x plot size combination should be summed for the total shoot count within the plot. The same should be done for 0.25 m2 plots counted within collection intensity (disturbance) plots to determine the total shoots per m2. Transplants shoot collection methodology: transplant shoots were collected from donor sites by hand using garden trawls. The area around shoots were excavated out and shoots were removed rom the sediment with care to ensure the most amount of rhizome was retained as possible. Donor site bed codes: All data containing site names with "muddy" and "sandy" should be converted to "low" and "high" elevation to represent the donor beds.