Disturbance to permanent monitoring plots at GCE sites 1-10, from 2001 to 2024.

We established permanent vegetation monitoring plots in creekbank and midmarsh at GCE sites 1-10 in 2000. A dedicated Juncus zone was later added at sites 10 and 9. Starting in 2001, when we recorded plant sizes, we also noted any disturbance to the plots. Plots were scored as normal (no visible disturbance), disturbed by wrack (wrack present in plots and stems dead or broken), disturbed by snails (>100 Littoraria per square meter and plant biomass low), disturbed by pigs (animal trail through the plot, this mostly happened at site 8 mid-marsh), initial slump (plot at the creekbank sliding into the creek based on movement of pvc poles or formation of a crevasse), and terminal slump (plot had slid far enough down that vegetation had drowned). Plots that experienced terminal slump or could not be found for any reason were scored as lost. Lost plots were replaced with a new plot in the same general area with the plot code incremented by 10. For example if plot 3 was lost, it was replaced by 13, and then in turn by 23.