Mussel Addition / Goose Exclusion Experiment at Sherman Creek Living Shoreline

Results of mussel-addition experiment and opportunistic goose-exclusion experiment conducted in the Sherman Creek Living Shoreline (New York, NY, USA) in 2021. We conducted continuous-flow core incubations to compare nitrogen-removal via denitrification among three experimental treatments: 1) S (sediment only, vegetation removed by geese), 2) S + P (sediment plus plant, geese excluded), and 3) S + P + M (sediment plus plant plus mussels added just prior incubation). We also conducted additions of labelled 15NO3- to determine rates of nitrogen fixation and the proportion of 15N that was denitrified. Variables measured include dissolved gases (N2, O2), dissolved nutrients (NO3- + NO2-, NO2-, NH3, and PO43-), sediment characteristics (bulk density, moisture content, organic content, porosity, percent carbon, percent nitrogen, and C:N ratio), and vegetation characteristics (stem height and density).
For more information on survey methods and flux calculations, download and view metadata html file. Complete flux calculations performed in the R programming language, from instrument output to final fluxes, are detailed. The files in the "data_final_2021" folder are processed and ready for use. Raw data used in calculations are available in the "raw_data_2021" folder.
This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Geological Survey under Grant/Cooperative Agreement No. 78963-11357. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U.S. Geological Survey. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey.