Vegetation survey in a coastal marsh at the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi

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Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
Vegetation survey in a coastal marsh at the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi
Abstract:
To better understand sediment deposition in marsh environments, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (USGS-SPCMSC) selected four study sites (Sites 5, 6, 7, and 8) along the Point Aux Chenes Bay shoreline of the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi (GNDNERR). These datasets were collected to serve as baseline data prior to the installation of a living shoreline (a subtidal sill). Each site consisted of five plots located along a transect perpendicular to the marsh-estuary shoreline at 5-meter (m) increments (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 m from the shoreline). Each plot contained four net sedimentation tiles (NST) that were secured flush to the marsh surface using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe. NST are an inexpensive and simple tool to assess short- and long-term deposition that can be deployed in highly dynamic environments without the compaction associated with traditional coring methods. The NST were deployed for three month sampling periods, measuring sediment deposition from July 2018 to January 2020, with one set of NST being deployed for six months. Sediment deposited on the NST were processed to determine physical characteristics, such as deposition thickness, volume, wet weight/dry weight, grain size, and organic content (loss-on-ignition [LOI]). For select sampling periods, ancillary data (water level, elevation, turbidity, and wave data) are also provided in this data release. Data were collected during Field Activities Numbers (FAN) 2018-332-FA (18CCT01), 2018-358-FA (18CCT10), 2019-303-FA (19CCT01, 19CCT02, 19CCT03, and 19CCT04, respectively), and 2020-301-FA (20CCT01). Additional survey and data details are available from the U.S. Geological Survey Coastal and Marine Geoscience Data System (CMGDS) at, https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/. Data from a related NST study in the GNDNERR (Middle Bay and North Rigolets) can be found at https://coastal.er.usgs.gov/data-release/doi-P9BFR2US/. Please read the full metadata for details on data collection, dataset variables, and data quality.
Supplemental_Information:
Data was collected through two field visits. Each field visit was assigned a field activity number (FAN) and sub-FAN by the U.S Geological Survey (USGS). This publication contains data for field activities from: 1) 2019-303-FA (19CCT02, May 2019), and 2) 2020-301-FA (20CCT01, January 2020).
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    Pitchford, Jonathan, Brochard, Michael, Terrano, Joseph F., and Smith, Kathryn E.L., 20230605, Vegetation survey in a coastal marsh at the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi:.

    This is part of the following larger work.

    Smith, Kathryn E.L., Terrano, Joseph F., Pitchford, Jonathan, Brochard, Michael, Vargas, Joseph M., Atchia, Isabelle D., Everhart, Cheyenne S., and Smith, Christopher G., 20200713, Shore Proximal Marsh Sediment Deposition and Ancillary Data From Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi, From July 2018 to January 2020: U.S. Geological Survey data release doi:10.5066/P9ONI8PS, U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg, FL.

    Online Links:

  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -88.449757
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -88.396209
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 30.429843
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 30.335728
  3. What does it look like?
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Beginning_Date: 07-May-2019
    Ending_Date: 28-Jan-2020
    Currentness_Reference:
    ground condition
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: tabular digital data
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
    1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?
    2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
    Grand_Bay_Vegetation.csv
    Vegetation data collected from NST plots located in the marsh at Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi, from May 2019 and February 2020. (Source: USGS)
    FAN
    USGS field activity number (FAN) assigned to each sample collection trip. (Source: USGS) Field activity numbers were assigned by the USGS to track field collection of samples. The FAN consists of YYYY-XXX-FA, with YYYY being the 4-digit year and XXX being the trip number, and FA representing that it is a field activity.
    Alt_FAN
    Alternate (abbreviated) FAN assigned each collection trip. (Source: USGS) FANs were assigned by the USGS and are YYCCTXX, where YY is the 2-digit year, CCT stands for coastal change and transport, and XX is the trip number.
    Site
    Site number (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:5
    Maximum:8
    Plot distance (meters)
    Distance inland to the NST plot from the shoreline. (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:5
    Maximum:25
    Units:meters (m)
    Plot canopy* height (meters)
    *Canopy height is an average of all vegetation species for the plot. Only one value is presented per plot. (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0.1
    Maximum:1.25
    Units:meters (m)
    Vegetation species
    Codes used to identify the type of NST that was deployed. (Source: USGS) Scientific name (genus and species) of the vegetation.
    Percent cover (%)
    Percent of the plot that was covered by each species. Combined percent of all species cannot exceed 100 percent. The difference between 100 percent and the sum of all species within the plot represents unvegetated area. (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:<5
    Maximum:70
    Units:percent (%)
    Stem^ count
    ^Stem count sub samples were collected from a marked area on the quadrat (at 1/16 of a meter) from the top right corner of each plot. Stem counts with "--" denote no stems of that species were counted in the sub sampled plot, however that vegetation type is present in the overall plot. (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:1
    Maximum:28

Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
    • Jonathan Pitchford
    • Michael Brochard
    • Joseph F. Terrano
    • Kathryn E.L. Smith
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
    Acknowledgment of the U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, as a data source would be appreciated in products developed from these data, and such acknowledgment as is standard for citation and legal practices. Sharing of new data layers developed directly from these data would also be appreciated by the U.S. Geological Survey staff. Users should be aware that comparisons with other datasets for the same area from other time periods may be inaccurate due to inconsistencies in data collection methods. These data are not legal documents and are not to be used as such.
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
    U.S. Geological Survey - St Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
    Attn: Kathryn E.L Smith
    Research Ecologist
    600 4th Street South
    St. Petersburg, FL

    727-502-8073 (voice)
    727-502-8182 (FAX)
    kelsmith@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

Vegetation species and abundance data can provide important information on the health of a marsh. Vegetation surveys were conducted within each NST plot (1 square meter) during the 19CCT02 and 20CCT01 trips. Within each plot the average vegetation canopy height was measured, a percent cover for each species was estimated, and a sub-sampled stem count of each species from 1/16th of a meter of the plot was collected.

How was the data set created?

  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
    Date: 2020 (process 1 of 1)
    Four previously established study sites (Sites 5, 6, 7, and 8) containing net sedimentation tiles (NST) within the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi were used to collect vegetation data. NST plots (a 1 square meter plot) were located at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 m inland and perpendicular to the shoreline. Vegetation surveys were conducted by Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve staff in 19CCT02 (May 2019) and 20CCT01 (February 2020) using NERR system wide monitoring protocols (Moore, 2009). First, a 1 square meter quadrat was placed on the corner PVC markers of the plot to ensure the quadrat covered the study area. To collect percent cover, the observer looked at the whole plot, then visualized that all of one species were gathered together and pushed to once side of the quadrat (if it appears that three-quarters of the quadrat is covered, then the percent cover for that species is 75%). This was repeated for each of the vegetation species, making sure that the overall sum of percent cover with species was not greater than 100%. To collect canopy height, a pole marked at 25-centimeter (cm) intervals was used to estimate the average height of the vegetation within the plot. To collect stem densities, the quadrat was marked at 1/16th of a meter in the upper right corner. Within the smaller quadrat area, the number of stems for each species were counted. Field sheet data was then transferred to comma separated value (CSV) file for publication. Person who carried out this activity:
    U.S. Geological Survey - St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
    Attn: Joseph F. Terrano
    Physical Scientist
    600 4th Street South
    St. Petersburg, FL
    U.S.

    (727) 502-8047 (voice)
    jterrano@usgs.gov
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • Grand_Bay_Vegetation.csv
  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
    Smith, Kathryn E.L., Terrano, Joseph F., Khan, Nicole S., and Stalk, Chelsea A., 20200206, Shore Proximal Sediment Deposition, Elevation, Turbidity, and Water Level Data for Four Sites in the Coastal Marsh at Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi, From October 2016 Through October 2017: U.S. Geological Survey - St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, St.Petersburg, Florida.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Contains data from a related NST study in North Rigolets and Middle Bay areas of the GNDNERR.
    Moore, Kenneth, 20091201, NERRS SWMP Bio- Monitoring Protocol: Long-term Monitoring of Estuarine Submersed and Emergent Vegetation Communities: Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve System in Virginia, Gloucester Point, Virginia.

    Online Links:

How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?

  1. How well have the observations been checked?
    The physical parameters reported in the table were analyzed at the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science sedimentology lab. This sediment dataset has not been independently verified for accuracy.
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    This is a complete, vegetation survey data file for data collected within the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi.
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    The data included in Grand_Bay_Vegetation_Data.csv are related to: FAN, alternate FAN, site, plot distance, plot canopy height, vegetation species, percent cover, and stem counts. Additional attribute information and definitions are provided below.

How can someone get a copy of the data set?

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
Access_Constraints none
Use_Constraints Public domain data from the U.S. Government are freely redistributable with proper metadata and source attribution. The U.S. Geological Survey requests that it be acknowledged as the originator of this dataset in any future products or research derived from these data. This metadata record should be reviewed in its entirety.
  1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
    U.S. Geological Survey - St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
    Attn: Kathryn E.L. Smith
    600 4th Street South
    St. Petersburg, FL
    U.S.

    727-502-8073 (voice)
    kelsmith@usgs.gov
  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? Grand_Bay_Vegetation.csv
  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
    Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the U.S. Geological Survey, no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data on any other system, nor shall the act of distribution imply any such warranty. The U.S. Geological Survey shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and (or) contained herein. Any use of trade, firm, or product name is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
  4. How can I download or order the data?
  5. Is there some other way to get the data?
    None
  6. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?
    The spreadsheet included in this .zip file were created for use with Microsoft Excel 365. The file may also be viewed with the Microsoft Excel viewer or by downloading a Microsoft Compatibility Pack to view with older versions of Microsoft Excel.

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 05-Jun-2023
Metadata author:
U.S. Geological Survey - St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
Attn: Joseph F. Terrano
Physical Scientist
600 4th Street South
St. Petersburg, FL
U.S.

(727) 502-8047 (voice)
jterrano@usgs.gov
Metadata standard:
Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)
This page is <https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/catalog/spcmsc/Grand_Bay_Vegetation_Metadata.faq.html>
Generated by mp version 2.9.51 on Tue Jun 6 10:02:37 2023