Abstract 

Florida’s coastal mangrove forests with nutrient-rich soil are essential ecological and economic resources, providing services such as storm surge buffers. These areas are also undergoing high rates of loss, making created mangrove sites increasingly viable mitigation options. However, research indicates that created sites take decades at minimum to develop adequate total organic matter (TOM) and silt and clay (mud) deposits needed for functionality equivalent to natural systems. Assessing and monitoring these key soil factors can be time-consuming and, at times, costly. Thus, scientists often use an indirect measure of soil development, bulk density (BD), which is comparatively rapid and inexpensive. Assumptions of causal relationships between BD and these other key factors are often made, but there is limited evidence to support these claims. 

Our current study used soil sampled at low and high intertidal elevations in a created mangrove forest, Braided Creek, in Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve (Tampa Bay) at 5 site ages: 6, 10, 12, 14, and 18 years since creation (over 13 years, ending in 2023). The top five centimeters of soil were analyzed for BD, TOM, sand, and mud. Linear regressions were conducted to determine correlations between BD and these other factors. At lower intertidal elevations, BD was significantly correlated with TOM and mud, but not with sand. Age 18 was significantly correlated across all factors. Our data provided evidence that BD might not be a suitable measure alone for soil development or appropriate for making inferences on other soil factors. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DVZoo9y4qDzIdA8VEmJPCFVettGvY1bW/view?usp=sharing

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