PrimaryCores_DryBulkDensity_OrganicMatter_CalciumCarbonate

A total of 24 soil cores were collected from four study sites located in two study regions (Tampa Bay and Naples, FL, USA). The two Tampa Bay sites were the E.G. Simmons Conservation Park (EG) and the Fred and Idah Schultz Nature Preserve (SP). The two Naples sites were Windstar on Naples Bay (WS) and Henderson Creek (HC). Within each site there were three 10 x 10 m plots targeting different relative surface elevations (high, medium, and low) in each of two mangrove conditions: natural (N) and created (C). PVC soil cores (10 cm diameter x 50 cm length) were collected from the center of each plot (n=24). Because of the importance of avoiding soil compaction, cores were not collected if the soil surface height inside the core tube was greater than 1 cm lower than the soil surface outside the core. Cores were returned to the laboratory and sectioned in intervals of 0-2 cm for the first interval, 1-cm intervals for the 2–10 cm depths, then 2-cm intervals for the remainder of the core. Dry bulk density (DBD), as well as soil organic matter (SOM) and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) content were measured using an aliquot with a diameter of 2.3 cm and volumes of 4.15 and 8.30 for depth interval thicknesses of 1 or 2 cm, respectively. Aliquots were dried at 105 ºC for 48 hours and DBD was calculated as material dry weight divided by original wet aliquot volume. Soil organic matter was estimated following loss-on-ignition (LOI) at 550 ºC for three hours; CaCO3 content was estimated by multiplying the mass lost during a second 1-hour LOI at 990 ºC by 2.27.