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INTRODUCTION
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“Establishing cordgrass plants cluster their shoots to avoid ecosystem engineering”
Running title: Shoot clustering avoids ecosystem engineering 
 
Authors: Clea van de Ven, Valérie Reijers , Carlijn Lammers,  Jim van Belzen, Yeyeong Chung, Tjeerd Bouma, Tjisse van der Heide
 
Version: 2-02-2023
 
This readme file describes the data accompanying the above publication. For any further queries please contact: 
clea.van.de.ven@nioz.nl
 
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CONTENT
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All Datafiles contain header descriptions to explain variables. 
 
1. Files of a field survey conducted along the Northwestern European coast. The survey was conducted between June and October 2019:
 
- Folder’ Photos’: 90 .png images of the plants (top view) sampled during field survey. Files are named after the species (SPA = Spartina anglica), followed by a unique plant/plot number. The red dots indicate shoot position (colours indicate different individuals, although only biggest plant were included per plot). Pictures of SPA 1 - 25 are scaled to 25.7143 pixels per cm, Pictures of SPA 26 - 90 are scaled to 24 pixels per cm.
 
- Folder ‘Coordinates’: 90 .csv files indicating the spatial position of shoots sampled during the field campaign. Files are named after the species (SPA = Spartina anglica) followed by a unique plant/plot number (1-90). Shoot coordinates were used as input for estimating aboveground shoot distances (step-lengths) and for clustering analysis. Column A = x coordinates, column B = y coordinates. Coordinates are in cm.
 
- Datafile ‘FieldData_survey.csv’, file containing environmental and plant parameters per plot. This file includes sediment and exposure data, as well as shoot number and clustering of individual plants. Each row represents one plant/plot and is identified with a unique number (1 – 90). Note that values are calculated per plant/plot, except for exposure data (EI, Fmod, Fmax) which were determined per site and consequently contains identical values for plants from the same sites. 
 
2. Data files from the mimic field experiment. The mimic experiment ran between October and December 2021.
 
- Datafile ‘MimicData_experiment.csv’, file containing the original measurements of the mimic experiment. The experiment consisted of four mimicked shoot patterns (clustered, dense,  sparse,  and control), repeated at two locations in the same bay but with contrasting exposure (exposed,  protected). The experiment with three replicates per location was arranged in a randomized block design. Measurements were repeated multiple times throughout the eexperiment. Repeated measurements are indicated by the number of ‘days’ since day = 0 at the start of the experiment.