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Panama Tree Plots Panama Tree Plots

Data from Tree Censuses and Inventories in Panama

These are results from a network of 186 tree census plots and inventories in Panama. At plots, every individual stem in a rectangular area of specified size is given a unique number and identified to species. Available here are counts of the number of individual trees of each species in each plot, in two categories: all individuals 10 mm in stem diameter or larger, and all individuals 100 mm in stem diameter or larger. In inventories, all species present are tallied, but no individuals are counted, so data provided here is simply a list of species observed at each location. Precise location of every site, elevation, and estimated rainfall (for many sites) are also included. Data from these numerous plots and inventories are collected following the same methods as, and species identity harmonized with, the 50-ha long-term tree census at Barro Colorado Island. For all plots, full census information (diameter and identity of every individual in multiple censuses) is available at a Smithsonian archive.

These data were gathered over many years, starting in 1994 and continuing to the present, by scientists working within the Center for Tropical Forest Science at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI). The principal scientists are R. Condit, R. Pérez, S. Lao, and S. Aguilar. Funding has been provided by many organizations, including STRI.

Details about methods are provided in

Condit, R., Engelbrecht, B. M. J., Pino, D., Pérez, R., and Turner, B. L. 2013. Species distributions in response to individual soil nutrients and seasonal drought across a community of tropical trees. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 110:5064-5068.

This work should be cited for use of these data. A copy is available from the online CTFS bibliography .