Surface elevation trends in natural and restored coastal forested wetlands reveal vulnerability to saltwater intrusion and sea level rise

Accelerating sea level rise and increasing frequency of storms are impacting coastal wetlands. Similar to salt marshes, coastal freshwater wetlands provide important flood protection and storm abatement services, but their capacity to keep up with sea level rise and associated saltwater intrusion remains unclear. Long-term monitoring of wetland soil surface elevation using surface elevation table and marker horizons (SET-MH) has been conducted in salt marshes, while forested wetlands have not received as much attention. In 2015, we installed 18 SET-MHs in one restored and two mature forested wetlands on the coastal plain of North Carolina, all of which have experienced saltwater intrusion in recent years. This dataset includes individual pin measurements for the 18 SETs from 2016 to 2022. Trends are reported in the manuscript, but we provide the raw data for future use. 
, , # Data from: Surface elevation trends in natural and restored coastal forested wetlands reveal vulnerability to saltwater intrusion and sea level rise

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.zgmsbccs4](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.zgmsbccs4)

## Description of the data and file structure

Surface elevation tables (SETs) were installed in three sites: Timberlake Observatory for Wetland Restoration, Palmetto Peartree Preserve, and Goose Creek State Park. These are mature forested wetlands in coastal North Carolina. SETs were monitored annually from 2016 to 2022. Pin measurements included in the dataset can be used to calculate elevation change trends. 

### Files and variables

#### File: set_data_public.xlsx

**Description:** 

##### Variables

* SET ID: identification code of each SET
* Year: year of measurement
* Month: Month of measurement
* Day: day of the month of measurement
* Arm position: Numbers 1-4 indicating cardinal direction of pins. 1: North, 2: South, 3: East, 4: West
* Pin number: ...,