Delta-X: Belowground Biomass and Nutrients in Mississippi River Delta Wetlands

Belowground biomass, necromass, and nutrient content data were collected from herbaceous wetlands in the Atchafalaya and Terrebonne basins of the Mississippi River Delta in southeastern coastal Louisiana, U.S., during March and August 2021. The dataset includes total carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus measurements from six sites chosen to represent a salinity gradient from freshwater to saline ecosystems. Samples were collected using a gouge soil auger during the Delta-X Spring and Fall deployments.

Use Cases

• Modeling belowground carbon stocks in delta wetlands based on measured biomass and necromass.
• Analyzing nutrient stoichiometry (C:N:P) across a salinity gradient from freshwater to saline sites.
• Calibrating remote sensing estimates of wetland biomass using field-collected ground truth data.
• Comparing belowground biomass dynamics between the Atchafalaya and Terrebonne basins.

Strengths

• Spatial coverage includes six sites across two major basins of the Mississippi River Delta.
• Data captures seasonal variation with collections in both March (Spring) and August (Fall) 2021.
• Sites represent a designed salinity gradient including freshwater, brackish, and saline ecosystems.

Limitations

• Column names and full data structure are not provided in any source description.
• Conflicting last updated dates exist between platforms (2021-08-27 vs. 2026-04-10).
• The dataset's size and row count are unknown.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Field measurements collected using a gouge soil auger during the Delta-X Spring and Fall deployments.

Time Range

March 2021 to August 2021

Freshness

2026-04-10 (most recent update from datagov)

Geography

Atchafalaya and Terrebonne basins, Mississippi River Delta, southeastern coastal Louisiana, USA