Data for: Drainage impacts on the productivity of wetland species Spartina alterniflora and Salicornia pacifica

Coastal wetlands display ecohydrological zonation such that vertical differences of plant zones are driven by varying groundwater levels over tidal cycles. It is unclear how variable levels of tidal drainage directly impact biotic and abiotic factors in coastal wetland ecosystems. To determine the impacts of drainage levels, simulated tides in mesocosms with varying degrees of drainage were created with Spartina alterniflora, the salt marsh coastal ecosystem dominant species on the United States Atlantic Coast, and Salicornia pacifica, the Pacific Coast dominant. We measured biomass production and photosynthesis as indicators of plant health, and we also measured soil and porewater characteristics to help interpret patterns of productivity. These measures included above and belowground biomass, porewater pH, salinity, ammonium concentration, sulfide concentration, soil redox potential, net ecosystem exchange, photosynthesis rate, respiration rate, and methane flux. We found the greatest..., This experiment was conducted using two ecosystem-dominant salt marsh species Spartina alterniflora and Salicornia pacifica.  Mesocosms were used to quantify the effects of the varying drainage treatments on the coastal wetland plant growth and soil conditions. The mesocosm soil was prepared by combining 25% marsh soil that was collected from the Tuckerton Peninsula, New Jersey (39.5388°, -74.3254°), 25% multipurpose sand (Lowes, Philadelphia, PA, USA), and 50% mushroom compost (Primex Garden Center, Glenside, PA, USA). Soils were screened at 2-mm to remove shell hash and coarse organic matter, homogenized with a cement mixer, and added to plant pots. The S. alterniflora plants were contained in pots that were made from cylindrical PVC pipes that were 20-cm long x 10-cm in diameter and were screened at the bottom to allow for water exchange. The S. pacifica plants were contained in 20-cm long square (7.6 x 7.6-cm) treepots, also screened at the bottom. 
We conducted a 2 x 4 factorial ex..., , # Data for: Drainage impacts on the productivity of wetland species Spartina alterniflora and Salicornia pacifica

## Description of the data and file structure:

\"all\_data\_7.csv\"; Description: Record of all measurements recorded throughout the project,
separated by plant species
Drainage treatments: zero (drained 0-cm), five (drained 5-cm), ten (drained 10-cm), twenty (drained 20-cm);
Plant species: *Spartina alterniflora* (SA), *Salicornia pacifica* (SP);
Parameters:

* Aboveground Biomass (g/m2)
* Belowground Biomass (g/m2)
* Porewater pH
* Porewater Salinity (ppt)
* Soil Redox Potential (mV)
* Methane Flux (uM/m2/s)
* Photosynthetic uptake (uM/m2/s of CO2, where negative values indicate uptake)
* Respiration Rate (uM/m2/s of CO2)
* Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) (uM/m2/s)
* Porewater Ammonium (ug/L)
* Porewater Sulfide (uM/L)

\"all\_data\_8.csv\"; Description: Same as \"all\_data\_7.csv\" EXCEPT that the column heading names are altered and the treatments (e.g., 0-cm) are listed nume...