DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.14051488
title: Data from: White is a new shade of blue carbon: traditional salt production ponds are net carbon sinks

description: (selected variables from file version data_sediment_20231019)

These datasets support the scientific article " White is a new shade of blue carbon: traditional salt production ponds are net carbon sinks" (submitted). It contains detailed data on the data used to estimate carbon sequestration rates and stocks in a saltpond in South Portugal. The datasets are accompanied by analysis code, available at GitHub repository, allowing for reproducibility and further exploration of the data.

The data is composed by 3 datasets with the following variables:

data_cores.csv. Contains properties related to the sampling of the sediment cores.



core_id [character] - unique core identification code used in the field.

tank_code [character] - tank identification where the core were sampled.

replicate [character] - replicate number of the core in each pond.

core_depth [numeric] - depth sampled with the core (in centimeters).

sample_length_lab [numeric] - length of the sampled core measured in the laboratory (in centimeters).

compaction_correction_factor [numeric] - fraction of the sample depth interval reduced due to compaction. It is calculated by dividing the core length by the core depth.

compaction [numeric] - core compaction in percentage (%). It is calculated as 100*(1 - compaction_correction_factor).


data_samples.csv. Contains properties of the sediment samples.



tank_code [character] - tank identification where the core were sampled.

replicate [character] - replicate number of the core in each pond.

core_id [character] - unique core identification code used in the field.

sample_id [character] - unique sample identification code (obtained by concatenating the core id and the minimum non-corrected depth of the sample).

depth_middle [numeric] - middle depth of a sampling increment, calculating as the average of depth_min and depth_max (in centimeters). Corrected for compaction.

depth_min [numeric] - minimum depth of a sampling increment, corrected for compaction (in centimeters). Corrected for compaction.

depth_max [numeric] - maximum depth of a sampling increment, corrected for compaction (in centimeters). Corrected for compaction.

sample_volume [numeric] - volume of the sediment sample, corrected for compaction (in cubic centimeters). Corrected for compaction.

sample_dw [numeric] - dry mass of the sample (in grams of dry weight).

percentage_organic_matter [numeric] - mass of organic matter relative to sample dry mass, obtained by loss-on-ignition (in percentage of dry weight).

percentage_total_carbon [numeric] - mass of total carbon relative to sample dry mass, obtained by CHN analysis (as a percentage of dry weight).

percentage_inorganic_carbon [numeric] - mass of inorganic carbon relative to sample dry mass, obtained by CHN analysis in samples after being subjected to LOI (as a percentage of dry weight).

percentage_organic_carbon [numeric] - mass of organic carbon relative to sample dry mass, obtained by the difference of the percentage total organic carbon and percentage inorganic carbon contents (as a percentage of dry weight).

dry_bulk_density [numeric] - dry mass per unit volume of the sample. This is calculated as the sample_dw divided by the sample_dw (in grams of dry weight per cubic centimeter). 


data_rates.csv. Contains calculation of the etiamted sedimentation rate.



core_id [character] - unique core identification code used in the field.

tank_code [character] - tank identification where the core were sampled.

replicate [character] - replicate number of the core in each pond.

compaction_correction_factor [numeric] - fraction of the sample depth interval reduced due to compaction. It is calculated by dividing the core length by the core depth.

om_layer [numeric] - depth of the organic matter (OM)-rich layer (corrected for compaction), in centimeters.

sample_length_lab [numeric] - length of the sampled core measured in the laboratory (in centimeters).

age [numeric] - estimated minimum age of the pond, in years.

sar [numeric] - sediment accumulation rate for the OM-rich layer, in millimieters per year.

depth49 [numeric] - depth of the sediment with an age of 49 years, which is the time since the last main reconfiguration of the ponds, in centimeters.