Ecosystem functions of plant diversity: Comparisons from a large-scale marsh restoration experiment in California, USA

Although the promotion of biodiversity has been recognized as an important conservation goal, salt marsh restoration typically focuses on re-establishing dominant foundation species. Salt marsh restoration projects that add or remove sediment to optimize marsh elevation often result in a bare landscape following construction. Restoration managers must decide whether to plant and, if so, which species. This decision can be difficult because few studies have examined the ecological functions of individual species, especially those that are less abundant. Within a major salt marsh restoration project in Elkhorn Slough, California, where 17,000 plants of five high marsh species were planted, we investigated how rarer species and the naturally recruiting dominant (Salicornia pacifica) differ in ecosystem function. We evaluated 31 different metrics related to blue carbon, plant productivity, environmental effects, and community interactions. No single species had the greatest ecological funct..., Data was collected through a variety of methods such as collecting aboveground plant biomass, deploying in-growth bags, deploying teabags, and utilizing a spectroscopy greenhouse gas analyzer. A complete description of the study objectives, methods, field sites, and uses of these data for analyses and interpretations can be found in the associated (forthcoming) paper, Shikuzawa et al, 2023. Raw data with outliers removed (when indicated in the associated paper), are provided. , Excel is required for opening the datasets. ,