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INTRODUCTION
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“Optimizing salt marsh restoration with context-dependent emergent trait mimicry and donor material selection’ (Chapter 5: van de Ven et al., manuscript submitted)”

Authors: Clea N. van de Ven, Ralph J.M. Temmink, Valérie C. Reijers, Jannes Heusinkveld, Pol Martinez-Garcia, Tjisse van der Heide

Version: xx-02-2025
 
This readme file describes the data accompanying the above manuscript, submitted for publication. For any further queries please contact: 
clea.van.de.ven@nioz.nl or tjisse.van.der.heide@nioz.nl
 
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CONTENT
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This file includes header descriptions to explain variables. 
 
Files of a field experiment conducted in the Dutch delta. The experiment ran between June 2021 and September 2023: 

- Datafile ‘Master file_Zeeland_mimicryx2_compact.csv’ Raw data file with field data, ordered by date, experimental field location (Rattekaai OR Dortsman) and plot number. Rows represent individual observations, one plant may have multiple rows representing individual shoots. Comapact refers to omission of some double or redundant columns. 

NB, some lines have ‘IRON’ as treatment. These rows should be omitted as they belong to a failed treatment (but are left for overview). All replicates with this treatment are completely removed from the experiment. 

Header description: Label = indicates whether observation belongs to start, number = plot number within one field site (range: 1-72), plot = unique plot number across field sites (range:  1-144), site = name of location (Rattekaai OR dortsman), block = experimental block. Treatment columns: origin_plant = origin of transplant, structure = high density, low density or no structure (HD, LD, control), flower = number of flowers, shoot length cm = shoot length of individual shoot, shoot number = number of counted shoots of the transplants, maximum shoot length cm = tallest shoot found in an individual transplant, max expansion = maximum distance between initial transplant and outward expanding shoot of some transplant,  expansion cm = expansion distance from initial transplant to new shoot, sulfide mol = sulfide concentration (in mmol), rebar height corrected cm = distance between structure and rebar where corrected is bottom of the rebar vs top of rebar, rebar sediment cm = distance from rebar to sediment, structure elevation = height of structure above sediment (protrusion), shoot width mm = shoot width of subset of individual shoots, ring movement cm = estimate sediment mobility using sediment sticks (See method).

- Datafile ‘df_publicdata.csv’ Data file with edited data used used for figures and analysis. Rows respond to individual transplants.

Header descriptions
Overview and treatment columns: 
Date = date of measurement, Label = indicates whether observation belongs to start, number = plot number within one field site (range: 1-72), plot = unique plot number across field sites (range:  1-144), site = name of location (Rattekaai OR dortsman), block = experimental block. Origin_plant = origin of transplant (Rattekaai or Dortsman), structure = high density, low density or no structure (HD, LD, control). block2 =  division of experimental blocks when origin_plant is included as treatment. ‘block’ may be used when origin_plant is not considered as treament (8 blocks per site). For our analysis, we used block2 (4 blocks per site).

Data columns: 
shoot number = number of counted shoots of the transplants, maximum shoot length cm = tallest shoot found in an individual transplant, max expansion = maximum distance between initial transplant and outward expanding shoot (cm), rebar height corrected cm = distance between structure and rebar where corrected is bottom of the rebar vs top of rebar, structure elevation = height of structure above sediment (protrusion).
sediment.height = average distance between sediment and top of structure measured at two points in the structure (cm). Only relevant for treatments with structures. 
sedimentation.cm = sedimentation (cm) within structures compared to the original structure height. Structures were 6 cm high and placed on top of the sediment. Sedimentation was thus calculated as 6 - sediment.height at that specific timepoint. In the analysis we made use of the relative sedimentation (see below)

MeanExp = mean lateral expansion (distance in cm) of all shoots that grew outside of original transplant core, measured as straight distance from core of transplant to the expanding shoot. TotExp = sum of all expansion distances (cm) and NumberExp = number of individual shoots that expanded out of original core. 

survival.binary = binary indicator whether transplant is alive at specific timepoints (0 = no, 1 = yes), event_loss = binary indicator whether transplant was lost at specific timepoints, time = duration of experiment since start (in months).
shoots_start = number of shoots at start, newshoots = number of new shoots relative to start, may be negative if shoots were lost.  perc.newshoots = relative new shoots compared to start expressed in percentage.

relative_sedimentation = sedimentation (cm) in the protruding structure (calculated by subtracting sediment height from structure elevation)
Structure.sinking = downward movement (cm) of structures relative to start position. Determined by measuring distance between rebar to structure. 

site_exposure = hydrodynamic exposure category at rattekaai and dortsman sites (Sheltered or Exposed)