Statistical Analyses
Three-way ANOVA was used to test the effects of
burrow or burrow mimic size, duration of high tide
(days since the first day of high tide) and habitat
type (Phragmites, Spartina marshes and mudflats) on
the amounts of soil excavated or deposited, deposition
efficiency and soil net transport to the
ground surface. In this study the soil net transported
was calculated as the excavated soil minus
deposited soil, collected per day. Burrow mimic
trapping, that is soil deposition, is defined as the
process in which surface soil and detritus are
selectively deposited into burrow mimics through
the interaction of burrow mimic openings and tidal
water, and burrow mimic deposition is characterized
by high organic content, fine grain size and
low-density sediments that are easily moved by
water flow and transported into crab burrow
mimics. Two-way ANOVA was used to test the effects
of habitat type and soil source (background
surface soil, background subsurface soil, soil excavated
or deposited into burrow mimics) on soil
properties. In addition, the effects of habitat type
and burrow or burrow mimic diameter size on TN,
TC, and TOC amounts daily transported were also
evaluated using two-way ANOVA tests. One-way
ANOVA was used to test the effects of burrow or
burrow mimic size on several parameters of soil
excavated by crabs and deposited into burrow
mimics. Tukey’s test was used to determine a posteriori
differences at P < 0.05. To meet the
assumptions of statistical analyses, the data were
appropriately examined and transformed prior to
statistical analyses as necessary.