Byerlyetal_HabitatCovariateData

Habitat covariates measured for 3 years on Whiskey and Raccoon Islands, Terrebonne Bay, Louisiana , in mid-June of 2016 and mid-July of 2017–2018. Two 1-m2 quadrats per season were selected using randomized coordinates within a 150 × 150–m2 plot around established points in restored and reference marsh sites. As sites were highly monotypic, two quadrats per plot per year for 3 years were considered adequate to characterize and capture variation across site covariates. Covariate measurements consisted of % ground cover of each cover type (plant, bare ground, water), %cover of each dominant plant type (succulent [primarily Salicornia spp.], A. germinans, S. alterniflora, woody shrub [primarily Iva frutescens]), standing water depth, and plant height (defined as height of tallest plant present in plot). Salinity was assumed to be consistent across the marsh platform and was not measured. Covariate Names (average of 2 quadrats per point per year): DomCover: Dominant cover typeDomVeg; Dominant vegetation category plant_av: % plot estimated to have plant coverwater_av: % plot estimated to have standing water coverbare_av: % plot estimated to have no plant/water cover-- bare ground plantheight_av (cm): Height of tallest plant in plot in cm (converted from rounded inches)water_depth (cm): standing water depth in cm (converted from rounded inches)Salav: estimated % plant cover Salicornia spp. Grassav: estimated % Spartina alterniflora cover BMav: estimated % Black Mangrove (Avicennia germinans) cover WSav: estimated % woody shrub cover, misc. species