Surface soil nutrients collected in 2007, 2012, 2017 from research plots described in Holl, K. D., J. L. Reid, R. J. Cole, F. Oviedo-Brenes, J. A. Rosales, and R. A. Zahawi. 2020. Applied nucleation facilitates tropical forest recovery: Lessons learned from a 15-year study. Journal of Applied Ecology 57:2316-2328 (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13684).

In July-Aug 2007 and June-July 2012 and 2017 we collected twenty-five 2.5-cm diameter × 15-cm deep soil cores across each 50 x 50 m plot. Cores were mixed, passed through a 2-mm sieve and air dried prior to analysis. In 2007, 2012, and 2017 samples were analyzed for organic matter, Bray and Mehlich III P, and cations and micronutrients using Mehlich III extractions following standard procedures at Brookside Laboratories, Knoxville, Ohio (see https://www.blinc.com/resources/testing-methods for details on protocols). In 2007 a small sample was finely ground, and C and N were determined by Dumas combustion using a Carlo Erba 1108 elemental analyzer at the University of California, Santa Cruz Stable Isotope Laboratory – see http://es.ucsc.edu/~silab/index.php. In 2012 and 2017 C:N ratios were analyzed at Brookside Laboratories.

Name of data files in data set:

• Soil – nutrients – 2007 – Brookside Labs
• Soil – nutrients – 2012 – Brookside Labs
• Soil – nutrients – 2012 – Brookside Labs
• Soil – CNisotopes – 2007 – UCSC Lab
• Soil – CN – 2012 – Brookside Labs
• Soil – CN – 2012 – Brookside Labs

See read.me file for more details.