I. Data Set Descriptors A. Title: Christina L. Richards. 2025. Habitat range and phenotypic variation in twelve salt marsh plants on Sapelo Island, Georgia, USA.. Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER Data Catalog (data set BOT-GCED-2509; /data/BOT-GCED-2509) B. Accession Number: BOT-GCED-2509 C. Description 1. Originator(s): Name: Christina L. Richards Address: Department of Integrative Biology University of South Florida Tampa, Florida 33620 Country: USA Email: clr@usf.edu 2. Abstract: We measured traits of twelve salt marsh plant species at sites around Sapelo Island GA in August of 1999. Plant species represent six families - Asteraceae: Aster tenuifolius L., Borrichia frutescens L., Iva frutescens L.; Bataceae: Batis maritima L.; Chenopodiaceae: Salicornia bigelovii Torrey, Salicornia virginica L.; Juncaceae: Juncus roemerianus Scheele; Plumbaginaceae: Limonium carolinianum (Walter) Britton; Poaceae: Distichlis spicata (L.) Greene, Spartina alterniflora Loisel., Spartina patens (Aiton) Muhl., Sporobolus virginicus (L.) Kunth; all nomenclature follows Radford et al. (1968). Soil cores were taken adjacent to each plant to measure soil water content, porewater salinity, and organic content. 3. Study Type: Directed Study 4. Study Themes: Botany, Population Ecology 5. LTER Core Areas: Population Studies 6. Georeferences: none 7. Submission Date: Sep 16, 2025 D. Keywords: Amaranthaceae, Angiospermae, Aster tenuifolius, Asteraceae, Asterales, Asteranae, Caryophyllales, Caryophyllanae, Distichlis spicata, Embryophyta, GCE, Georgia, Georgia Coastal Ecosystems, Lilianae, Limonium carolinianum, LTER, Magnoliopsida, plant phenology, Plantae, Plumbaginaceae, Poaceae, Poales, Population Studies, Salicornia bigelovii, Salicornia depressa, Salicornia virginica, salinity, salt marshes, Sapelo Island, shoot height, Spartina patens, Spermatophytina, Sporobolus virginicus, Streptophyta, Symphyotrichum tenuifolium, Tracheophyta, USA, Viridaeplantae, Viridiplantae II. Research Origin Descriptors A. Overall Project Description 1. Project Title: Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER Project II 2. Principal Investigators: Name: Merryl Alber Address: Dept. of Marine Sciences University of Georgia Athens, Georgia 30602-3636 Country: USA Email: malber@uga.edu 3. Funding Period: May 01, 2006 to Nov 01, 2012 4. Objectives: To understand the mechanisms by which variation in the quality, source and amount of both fresh and salt water create temporal and spatial variability in estuarine habitats and processes, in order to predict directional changes that will occur in response to long-term shifts in estuarine salinity patterns 5. Abstract: The Georgia Coastal Ecosystems (GCE) LTER program, located on the central Georgia coast, was established in 2000. The study domain encompasses three adjacent sounds (Altamaha, Doboy, Sapelo) and includes upland (mainland, barrier islands, marsh hammocks), intertidal (fresh, brackish and salt marsh) and submerged (river, estuary, continental shelf) habitats. Patterns and processes in this complex landscape vary spatially within and between sites, and temporally on multiple scales (tidal, diurnal, seasonal, and interannual). Overlain on this spatial and temporal variation are long-term trends caused by climate change, sea level rise, and human alterations of the landscape. These long-term trends are likely to manifest in many ways, including changes in water quality, river discharge, runoff and tidal inundation patterns throughout the estuarine landscape. The overarching goal of the GCE program is to understand the mechanisms by which variation in the quality, source and amount of both fresh and salt water create temporal and spatial variability in estuarine habitats and processes, in order to predict directional changes that will occur in response to long-term shifts in estuarine salinity patterns. The objectives of the current funding cycle are 1) to continue to document long-term patterns of environmental forcing to the coastal zone, 2) to link environmental forcing to observed spatial and temporal patterns of biogeochemical processes, primary production, community dynamics, decomposition and disturbance, 3) to investigate the underlying mechanisms by which environmental gradients along the longitudinal (freshwater-saltwater) and 4) lateral (upland-subtidal) axes of estuaries drive ecosystem change, and 5) to explore the relative importance of larval transport and the conditions of the adult environment in determining community and genetic structure across both the longitudinal and vertical gradients of the estuary. To meet these objectives, we utilize a suite of approaches including long-term monitoring of abiotic drivers and ecosystem responses; manipulative and natural experiments designed to enable us to examine the importance of key ecosystem drivers; and modeling. 6. Funding Source: NSF OCE 0620959 B. Sub-project Description 1. Site Description a. Geographic Location: Sapelo -- Sapelo Island, Sapelo Island, Georgia Airport_marsh -- Airport_marsh Apex_West -- Apex_West Bourbon_Field_West -- Bourbon_Field_West Cabretta_North -- Cabretta_North Hunt_Camp_NW_GCE10 -- Hunt_Camp_NW_GCE10 Lighthouse -- Lighthouse Marsh_Landing_ML -- Marsh_Landing_ML Old_Beach -- Old_Beach Shell_Hammock -- Shell_Hammock Coordinates: Sapelo -- NW: 081 18 28.72 W, 31 32 10.93 N NE: 081 10 34.26 W, 31 32 10.93 N SE: 081 10 34.26 W, 31 22 48.54 N SW: 081 18 28.72 W, 31 22 48.54 N Airport_marsh -- 81 17 22.8 W, 31 25 07.8 N Apex_West -- 81 13 50.4 W, 31 31 35.4 N Bourbon_Field_West -- 81 13 34.2 W, 31 29 54.0 N Cabretta_North -- 81 14 30.0 W, 31 26 27.0 N Hunt_Camp_NW_GCE10 -- 81 16 16.2 W, 31 28 51.0 N Lighthouse -- 81 17 07.8 W, 31 23 19.8 N Marsh_Landing_ML -- 81 17 43.8 W, 31 24 58.2 N Old_Beach -- 81 15 43.2 W, 31 24 31.2 N Shell_Hammock -- 81 17 21.0 W, 31 24 03.0 N b. Physiographic Region: Sapelo -- unspecified Airport_marsh -- unspecified Apex_West -- unspecified Bourbon_Field_West -- unspecified Cabretta_North -- unspecified Hunt_Camp_NW_GCE10 -- unspecified Lighthouse -- unspecified Marsh_Landing_ML -- unspecified Old_Beach -- unspecified Shell_Hammock -- unspecified c. Landform Components: Sapelo -- Barrier island Airport_marsh -- unspecified Apex_West -- unspecified Bourbon_Field_West -- unspecified Cabretta_North -- unspecified Hunt_Camp_NW_GCE10 -- unspecified Lighthouse -- unspecified Marsh_Landing_ML -- unspecified Old_Beach -- unspecified Shell_Hammock -- unspecified d. Hydrographic Characteristics: Sapelo -- unspecified Airport_marsh -- unspecified Apex_West -- unspecified Bourbon_Field_West -- unspecified Cabretta_North -- unspecified Hunt_Camp_NW_GCE10 -- unspecified Lighthouse -- unspecified Marsh_Landing_ML -- unspecified Old_Beach -- unspecified Shell_Hammock -- unspecified e. Topographic Attributes: Sapelo -- unspecified Airport_marsh -- unspecified Apex_West -- unspecified Bourbon_Field_West -- unspecified Cabretta_North -- unspecified Hunt_Camp_NW_GCE10 -- unspecified Lighthouse -- unspecified Marsh_Landing_ML -- unspecified Old_Beach -- unspecified Shell_Hammock -- unspecified f. Geology, Lithology and Soils: Sapelo -- unspecified Airport_marsh -- unspecified Apex_West -- unspecified Bourbon_Field_West -- unspecified Cabretta_North -- unspecified Hunt_Camp_NW_GCE10 -- unspecified Lighthouse -- unspecified Marsh_Landing_ML -- unspecified Old_Beach -- unspecified Shell_Hammock -- unspecified g. Vegetation Communities: Sapelo -- Salt marsh vegetation on the island exterior (dominated by Spartina alterniflora), transitioning to marsh meadow and maritime forest on the island interior Airport_marsh -- unspecified Apex_West -- unspecified Bourbon_Field_West -- unspecified Cabretta_North -- unspecified Hunt_Camp_NW_GCE10 -- unspecified Lighthouse -- unspecified Marsh_Landing_ML -- unspecified Old_Beach -- unspecified Shell_Hammock -- unspecified h. History of Land Use and Disturbance: none recorded i. Climate: Climate summary for Sapelo Island, Georgia, based on NWS data from 1980-2010: Daily-aggregated Values: Mean (sample standard deviation) mean air temperature: 20.09°C (7.28°C) minimum air temperature: 15.02°C (7.96°C) maximum air temperature: 24.82°C (6.98°C) total precipitation: 3.26mm (10.3mm) Yearly-aggregated Daily Values: Mean (sample standard deviation) total precipitation (1980-2010): 1124mm (266mm) 2. Experimental or Sampling Design a. Design Characteristics: We studied twelve plant species that are common in southeastern USA salt marshes and represent six families - Asteraceae: Aster tenuifolius L., Borrichia frutescens L., Iva frutescens L.; Bataceae: Batis maritima L.; Chenopodiaceae: Salicornia bigelovii Torrey, Salicornia virginica L.; Juncaceae: Juncus roemerianus Scheele; Plumbaginaceae: Limonium carolinianum (Walter) Britton; Poaceae: Distichlis spicata (L.) Greene, Spartina alterniflora Loisel., Spartina patens (Aiton) Muhl., Sporobolus virginicus (L.) Kunth; all nomenclature follows Radford et al. (1968).We worked at seventeen sites on Sapelo Island, Georgia, USA (31° 28’ N, 81° 14’ W). The vegetation patterns in Sapelo Island marshes are typical of southeastern marshes in the United States (Pomeroy and Wiegert 1981). Lower elevations of the marsh are subject to daily tidal submergence and are dominated by Spartina alterniflora. The higher elevations of the marsh are flooded irregularly and are often characterized by highly saline salt pans and associated salt-tolerant species such as Salicornia virginica, Salicornia bigelovii, Batis maritima, Borrichia frutescens, Distichlis spicata and Sporobolus virginicus (Antlfinger 1981). The terrestrial border of the marsh is typically dominated by Juncus roemerianus, Spartina patens or Iva frutescens. Aster tenuifolius and Limonium carolinianum occur at higher elevations mixed in with the zonal dominants. The details of the plant zonation patterns vary from site to site, and not every species occurs at every marsh site. The twelve species that we studied represent the vast majority of the species and the plant biomass present at all of our sites. b. Permanent Plots: GPS coordinates of study plots was not taken at time of collection. Locations included in the metadata are approximate locations (within 0.5 km). A map of the locations is also included with this data set. c. Data Collection Duration and Frequency: We sampled plant traits between 1 July and 16 August, 1999 (N = 1057 plants). Within this time frame, each species was sampled after it had flowered and completed the majority of its vegetative growth across the marsh environmental gradients. Each species was sampled along one transect at each of eight or nine sites. Because the species composition of each site varied, the number of species sampled per site ranged from one to twelve. Individual transects ran from the upper to the lower elevational range of the target species at each site. Ten plants were selected along each transect using a stratified-random sampling scheme to ensure representation of the full extent of environmental breadth. Due to the broad horizontal and elevation range of Spartina alterniflora, we collected data on twenty individuals at each of the eight sites for this species. Traits measured for each species included plant height, number of leaves, length, width and thickness of three fully emerged leaves, length of the third internode, and other traits as appropriate for the growth form of each plant species. Height in the four grasses and most of the forbs and small shrubs was measured from the ground to the uppermost leaf node on the stem. The exceptions include Iva for which height was measured to the top of the canopy, the Salicornia species for which height was measured to the top of the uppermost appressed leaf, and Juncus for which height was measured to the end of each needle-like leaf. For flowering individuals of Borrichia and Aster, height was measured to the uppermost flower head. Leaf size was estimated as maximum length x maximum width in all plants with the exception of the succulent Batis for which leaf volume was estimated by leaf size x maximum thickness. Stem diameter was measured at the base of the stem with calipers. Base width was measured below the basal rosette (Limonium). Leaf serration was scored (Iva) on a scale of one to four with one indicating smooth leaves and Beginning of Observations: Jun 01, 1999 End of Observations: Aug 16, 1999 3. Research Methods a. Field and Laboratory Methods: Method 1: Plant Traits -- We sampled plant traits between 1 July and 16 August, 1999 (N = 1057 plants). Within this time frame, each species was sampled after it had flowered and completed the majority of its vegetative growth across the marsh environmental gradients. Each species was sampled along one transect at each of eight or nine sites. Because the species composition of each site varied, the number of species sampled per site ranged from one to twelve. Individual transects ran from the upper to the lower elevational range of the target species at each site. Ten plants were selected along each transect using a stratified-random sampling scheme to ensure representation of the full extent of environmental breadth. Due to the broad horizontal and elevation range of Spartina alterniflora, we collected data on twenty individuals at each of the eight sites for this species. Traits measured for each species included plant height, number of leaves, length, width and thickness of three fully emerged leaves, length of the third internode, and other traits as appropriate for the growth form of each plant species. Height in the four grasses and most of the forbs and small shrubs was measured from the ground to the uppermost leaf node on the stem. The exceptions include Iva for which height was measured to the top of the canopy, the Salicornia species for which height was measured to the top of the uppermost appressed leaf, and Juncus for which height was measured to the end of each needle-like leaf. For flowering individuals of Borrichia and Aster, height was measured to the uppermost flower head. Leaf size was estimated as maximum length x maximum width in all plants with the exception of the succulent Batis for which leaf volume was estimated by leaf size x maximum thickness. Stem diameter was measured at the base of the stem with calipers. Base width was measured below the basal rosette (Limonium). Leaf serration was scored (Iva) on a scale of one to four with one indicating smooth leaves and four indicating highly serrated leaves. Method 2: Soil samples -- After all plants were tagged and traits measured, we collected a soil sample adjacent to each plant within a three day period (21–23 August 1999). Soil was dried (60 °C to constant weight) to determine relative water content, rehydrated in a known volume of distilled water to determine original pore water salinity (Pennings and Richards 1998), and ashed (550 °C for 12 hours) to determine organic content. We surveyed the soil elevation at the base of each tagged plant to the nearest millimeter. Elevation was converted to a relative index for each species at each site by setting the lowest value for the species to 0 and the highest to 1. b. Protocols: Method 1: none Method 2: none c. Instrumentation: Method 1: none Method 2: none d. Taxonomy and Systematics: Method 1: not applicable Method 2: not applicable e. Speclies List: f. Permit History: Method 1: not applicable Method 2: not applicable 4. Project Personnel a. Personnel: 1: Christina L. Richards 2: Steven C. Pennings 3: Lisa A. Donovan b. Affiliations: 1: University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 2: University of Houston, Houston, Texas 3: University of Georgia III. Data Set Status and Accessibility A. Status 1. Latest Update: 29-Oct-2025 2. Latest Archive Date: 15-Oct-2025 3. Latest Metadata Update: 29-Oct-2025 4. Data Verification Status: New Submission B. Accessibility 1. Storage Location and Medium: Stored at GCE-LTER Data Management Office Dept. of Marine Sciences Univ. of Georgia Athens, GA 30602-3636 USA on media: electronic data download (WWW) or compact disk 2. Contact Person: Name: Wade M. Sheldon, Jr. Address: 130 Marine Sciences Marine Sciences Building Athens, Georgia 30602-3636 Country: USA Email: sheldon@uga.edu 3. Copyright Restrictions: not copyrighted 4. Restrictions: This information is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (see: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The consumer of these data ("Data User" herein) has an ethical obligation to cite it appropriately in any publication that results from its use. The Data User should realize that these data may be actively used by others for ongoing research and that coordination may be necessary to prevent duplicate publication. The Data User is urged to contact the authors of these data if any questions about methodology or results occur. Where appropriate, the Data User is encouraged to consider collaboration or co-authorship with the authors. The Data User should realize that misinterpretation of data may occur if used out of context of the original study. While substantial efforts are made to ensure the accuracy of data and associated documentation, complete accuracy of data sets cannot be guaranteed. All data are made available "as is." The Data User should be aware, however, that data are updated periodically and it is the responsibility of the Data User to check for new versions of the data. The data authors and the repository where these data were obtained shall not be liable for damages resulting from any use or misinterpretation of the data. a. Release Date: Affiliates: Sep 16, 2025, Public: Sep 16, 2027 b. Citation: Data provided by the Georgia Coastal Ecosystems Long Term Ecological Research Project, supported by funds from NSF OCE 0620959 (data set BOT-GCED-2509) c. Disclaimer: The user assumes all responsibility for errors in judgement based on interpretation of data and analyses presented in this data set. 5. Costs: free electronic data download via WWW, distribution on CD may be subject to nominal processing and handling fee IV. Data Structural Descriptors A. Data Set File 1. File Name: BOT-GCED-2509_1_0.CSV 2. Size: 1057 records 3. File Format: ASCII text (comma-separated value format) 3a. Delimiters: single comma 4. Header Information: 5 lines of ASCII text 5. Alphanumeric Attributes: 6. Quality Control Flag Codes: Q = questionable value, I = invalid value, E = estimated value 7. Authentication Procedures: 8. Calculations: 9. Processing History: Software version: GCE Data Toolbox Version 3.9.10 (23-May-2022) Data structure version: GCE Data Structure 1.1 (29-Mar-2001) Original data file processed: DataTable.txt (1057 records) Data processing history: 15-Oct-2025: new GCE Data Structure 1.1 created ('newstruct') 15-Oct-2025: 1057 rows imported from ASCII data file 'DataTable.txt' ('imp_ascii') 15-Oct-2025: 13 metadata fields in file header parsed ('parse_header') 15-Oct-2025: data structure validated ('gce_valid') 15-Oct-2025: Q/C flagging criteria applied, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 15-Oct-2025: updated 1 metadata fields in the Dataset section(s) ('addmeta') 15-Oct-2025: imported Dataset, Project, Site, Study, Status, Supplement metadata descriptors from the GCE Metabase ('imp_gcemetadata') 15-Oct-2025: updated 57 metadata fields in the Dataset, Project, Site, Status, Study, Supplement section(s) ('addmeta') 29-Oct-2025: edited structure data ('ui_datagrid'): changed 'Serration' row 407 from 0.0 to NaN 29-Oct-2025: Q/C flagging criteria applied, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 29-Oct-2025: Name of column Depth of plant changed to Depth_of_plant; Name of column Relative elevation changed to Relative_elevatio ('ui_editor') 29-Oct-2025: replaced values of 'AP' in column(s) Site with 'Airport', performing a full case-sensitive match ('string_replace') 29-Oct-2025: 132 values in 'Site' were updated with new values ('update_data') 29-Oct-2025: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Site, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 29-Oct-2025: replaced values of 'BF' in column(s) Site with 'Bourbon Field', performing a full case-sensitive match ('string_replace') 29-Oct-2025: 10 values in 'Site' were updated with new values ('update_data'): changed record 349 from 'BF' to 'Bourbon Field', changed record 350 from 'BF' to 'Bourbon Field', changed record 351 from 'BF' to 'Bourbon Field', changed record 352 from 'BF' to 'Bourbon Field', changed record 353 from 'BF' to 'Bourbon Field', changed record 354 from 'BF' to 'Bourbon Field', changed record 355 from 'BF' to 'Bourbon Field', changed record 356 from 'BF' to 'Bourbon Field', changed record 357 from 'BF' to 'Bourbon Field', changed record 358 from 'BF' to 'Bourbon Field' 29-Oct-2025: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Site, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 29-Oct-2025: replaced values of 'CAB' in column(s) Site with 'Cabretta Island', performing a full case-sensitive match ('string_replace') 29-Oct-2025: 20 values in 'Site' were updated with new values ('update_data') 29-Oct-2025: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Site, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 29-Oct-2025: replaced values of 'CI' in column(s) Site with 'Cabretta Island Road', performing a full case-sensitive match ('string_replace') 29-Oct-2025: 129 values in 'Site' were updated with new values ('update_data') 29-Oct-2025: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Site, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 29-Oct-2025: replaced values of 'HC' in column(s) Site with 'Hunt Camp', performing a full case-sensitive match ('string_replace') 29-Oct-2025: 80 values in 'Site' were updated with new values ('update_data') 29-Oct-2025: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Site, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 29-Oct-2025: replaced values of 'IA' in column(s) Site with 'Island Apex', performing a full case-sensitive match ('string_replace') 29-Oct-2025: 60 values in 'Site' were updated with new values ('update_data') 29-Oct-2025: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Site, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 29-Oct-2025: replaced values of 'LH' in column(s) Site with 'Light House', performing a full case-sensitive match ('string_replace') 29-Oct-2025: 127 values in 'Site' were updated with new values ('update_data') 29-Oct-2025: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Site, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 29-Oct-2025: replaced values of 'LHC' in column(s) Site with 'Light House Creek', performing a full case-sensitive match ('string_replace') 29-Oct-2025: 40 values in 'Site' were updated with new values ('update_data') 29-Oct-2025: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Site, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 29-Oct-2025: replaced values of 'LTD' in column(s) Site with 'Long Tabby Dock', performing a full case-sensitive match ('string_replace') 29-Oct-2025: 10 values in 'Site' were updated with new values ('update_data') 29-Oct-2025: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Site, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 29-Oct-2025: replaced values of 'MLN' in column(s) Site with 'ML North', performing a full case-sensitive match ('string_replace') 29-Oct-2025: 30 values in 'Site' were updated with new values ('update_data') 29-Oct-2025: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Site, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 29-Oct-2025: replaced values of 'NT' in column(s) Site with 'Nature Trail', performing a full case-sensitive match ('string_replace') 29-Oct-2025: 10 values in 'Site' were updated with new values ('update_data') 29-Oct-2025: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Site, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 29-Oct-2025: replaced values of 'OBR' in column(s) Site with 'Old Beach Road', performing a full case-sensitive match ('string_replace') 29-Oct-2025: 90 values in 'Site' were updated with new values ('update_data') 29-Oct-2025: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Site, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 29-Oct-2025: replaced values of 'OBRSP' in column(s) Site with 'Old Beach Road Salt Pan', performing a full case-sensitive match ('string_replace') 29-Oct-2025: 20 values in 'Site' were updated with new values ('update_data') 29-Oct-2025: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Site, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 29-Oct-2025: replaced values of 'RB' in column(s) Site with 'Racoon Bluff', performing a full case-sensitive match ('string_replace') 29-Oct-2025: 60 values in 'Site' were updated with new values ('update_data') 29-Oct-2025: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Site, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 29-Oct-2025: replaced values of 'SH' in column(s) Site with 'Shell Hammock', performing a full case-sensitive match ('string_replace') 29-Oct-2025: 60 values in 'Site' were updated with new values ('update_data') 29-Oct-2025: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Site, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 29-Oct-2025: replaced values of 'MLS' in column(s) Site with 'Marsh Landing South', performing a full case-sensitive match ('string_replace') 29-Oct-2025: 99 values in 'Site' were updated with new values ('update_data') 29-Oct-2025: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Site, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 29-Oct-2025: replaced values of 'TD' in column(s) Site with 'Tabby Dock', performing a full case-sensitive match ('string_replace') 29-Oct-2025: 80 values in 'Site' were updated with new values ('update_data'): changed record 71 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 72 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 73 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 74 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 75 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 76 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 77 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 78 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 79 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 80 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 408 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 409 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 410 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 411 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 412 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 413 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 414 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 415 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 416 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 417 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 488 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 489 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 490 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 491 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 492 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 493 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 494 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 495 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 496 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 497 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 568 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 569 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 570 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 571 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 572 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 573 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 574 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 575 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 576 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 577 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 718 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 719 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 720 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 721 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 722 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 723 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 724 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 725 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 726 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 727 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 728 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 729 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 730 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 731 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 732 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 733 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 734 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 735 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 736 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 737 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 888 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 889 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 890 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 891 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 892 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 893 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 894 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 895 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 896 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 897 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 1048 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 1049 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 1050 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 1051 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 1052 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 1053 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 1054 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 1055 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 1056 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock', changed record 1057 from 'TD' to 'Tabby Dock' 29-Oct-2025: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Site, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 29-Oct-2025: updated 6 metadata fields in the Data section(s) ('addmeta') 29-Oct-2025: updated 15 metadata fields in the Status, Data sections to reflect attribute metadata ('updatecols') 29-Oct-2025: parsed and formatted metadata ('listmeta') B. Variable Information 1. Variable Name: column 1. Species column 2. Site column 3. Height column 4. Width column 5. Depth_of_plant column 6. Number_of_leaves column 7. Stem_width column 8. Third_internode column 9. Serration column 10. Leaf_1_length column 11. Leaf_2_length column 12. Leaf_3_length column 13. Leaf_1_width column 14. Leaf_2_width column 15. Leaf_3_width column 16. Leaf_1_thickness column 17. Leaf_2_thickness column 18. Leaf_3_thickness column 19. Proportion_water column 20. Salinity column 21. Organic_content column 22. Relative_elevation 2. Variable Definition: column 1. Plant species column 2. Study site column 3. Height of plant column 4. Width of plant column 5. Depth of plant column 6. Number of leaves column 7. Width of stem at soil surface column 8. Length of the third internode column 9. Serration of Iva leaves index (1=smooth leaves - 4= highly serrated leaves) column 10. Length of first leaf column 11. Length of second leaf column 12. Length of third leaf column 13. Width of first leaf column 14. Width of second leaf column 15. Width of third leaf column 16. Thickness of first leaf column 17. Thickness of second leaf column 18. Thickness of third leaf column 19. Proportion of mass of soil core represented by water column 20. Salinity of pore water column 21. Organic content of dry soil column 22. Relative elevation for each species at each site 3. Units of Measurement: column 1. none column 2. none column 3. cm column 4. cm column 5. cm column 6. count column 7. cm column 8. cm column 9. index column 10. cm column 11. cm column 12. cm column 13. cm column 14. cm column 15. cm column 16. cm column 17. cm column 18. cm column 19. proportion column 20. PSU column 21. proportion column 22. proportion 4. Data Type a. Storage Type: column 1. string column 2. string column 3. floating-point column 4. floating-point column 5. floating-point column 6. integer column 7. floating-point column 8. floating-point column 9. floating-point column 10. floating-point column 11. floating-point column 12. floating-point column 13. floating-point column 14. floating-point column 15. floating-point column 16. floating-point column 17. floating-point column 18. floating-point column 19. floating-point column 20. floating-point column 21. floating-point column 22. floating-point b. Variable Codes: Site: AP= AIRPORT, BF= BOURBON FIELD, CAB= CABRETTA ISLAND, CI= CAB ROAD, HC= HUNT CAMP, IA= ISLAND APEX, LH= LIGHT HOUSE, LHC= LIGHT HOUSE CREEK, LTD= LONG TABBY DOCK, ML= MARSH LANDING, MLN= ML NORTH, NT= NATURE TRAIL, OBR= OLD BEACH ROAD, OBRSP= OBR SALT PAN, RB= RACOON BLUFF, SH= SHELL HAMMOCK c. Numeric Range: column 1. (none) column 2. (none) column 3. 2.3 to 210 column 4. 0.3 to 328 column 5. 15 to 356 column 6. 0 to 800 column 7. 0.07 to 2.08 column 8. 0 to 11.61 column 9. 1 to 4 column 10. 0 to 150 column 11. 0.27 to 112 column 12. 0.41 to 75 column 13. 0 to 5.2 column 14. 0.13 to 2.56 column 15. 0.12 to 2.77 column 16. 0.06 to 0.39 column 17. 0.07 to 0.4 column 18. 0.01 to 0.44 column 19. 0.036649 to 0.80167 column 20. 0 to 250.4732 column 21. 0 to 0.38767 column 22. 0 to 1 d. Missing Value Code: 5. Data Format a. Column Type: column 1. text column 2. text column 3. numerical column 4. numerical column 5. numerical column 6. numerical column 7. numerical column 8. numerical column 9. numerical column 10. numerical column 11. numerical column 12. numerical column 13. numerical column 14. numerical column 15. numerical column 16. numerical column 17. numerical column 18. numerical column 19. numerical column 20. numerical column 21. numerical column 22. numerical b. Number of Columns: 22 c. Decimal Places: column 1. 0 column 2. 0 column 3. 1 column 4. 1 column 5. 0 column 6. 0 column 7. 2 column 8. 2 column 9. 1 column 10. 2 column 11. 2 column 12. 2 column 13. 2 column 14. 2 column 15. 2 column 16. 2 column 17. 2 column 18. 2 column 19. 2 column 20. 2 column 21. 2 column 22. 2 6. Logical Variable Type: column 1. free text (none) column 2. free text (none) column 3. data (continuous) column 4. data (continuous) column 5. data (continuous) column 6. data (discrete) column 7. data (continuous) column 8. data (continuous) column 9. data (continuous) column 10. data (continuous) column 11. data (continuous) column 12. data (continuous) column 13. data (continuous) column 14. data (continuous) column 15. data (continuous) column 16. data (continuous) column 17. data (continuous) column 18. data (continuous) column 19. data (continuous) column 20. data (continuous) column 21. data (continuous) column 22. data (continuous) 7. Flagging Criteria: column 1. none column 2. none column 3. x<0="I";x>300="I";x<0="Q";x>300="Q" column 4. x<0="I";x>400="I";x<0="Q";x>400="Q" column 5. x<0="I";x>400="I";x<0="Q";x>400="Q" column 6. x<0="I";x>800="I";x<0="Q";x>800="Q" column 7. x<0="I";x>2.5="I";x<0="Q";x>2.5="Q" column 8. x<0="I";x>15="I";x<0="Q";x>15="Q" column 9. x<1="I";x>4="I";x<1="Q";x>4="Q" column 10. x<0="I";x>150="I";x<0="Q";x>150="Q" column 11. x<0="I";x>115="I";x<0="Q";x>115="Q" column 12. x<0="I";x>100="I";x<0="Q";x>100="Q" column 13. x<0="I";x>10="I";x<0="Q";x>10="Q" column 14. x<0="I";x>10="I";x<0="Q";x>10="Q" column 15. x<0="I";x>10="I";x<0="Q";x>10="Q" column 16. x<0="I";x>1="I";x<0="Q";x>1="Q" column 17. x<0="I";x>1="I";x<0="Q";x>1="Q" column 18. x<0="I";x>1="I";x<0="Q";x>1="Q" column 19. x<0="I";x>1="I";x<0="Q";x>1="Q" column 20. x<0="I";x>400="I";x<0="Q";x>400="Q" column 21. x<0="I";x>1="I";x<0="Q";x>1="Q" column 22. x<0="I";x>1="I";x<0="Q";x>1="Q" C. Data Anomalies: V. Supplemental Descriptors A. Data Acquisition 1. Data Forms: 2. Form Location: 3. Data Entry Validation: B. Quality Assurance/Quality Control Procedures: C. Supplemental Materials: D. Computer Programs: E. Archival Practices: F. Publications: not specified G. History of Data Set Usage 1. Data Request History: not specified 2. Data Set Update History: none 3. Review History: none 4. Questions and Comments from Users: none