Biodiversity & Ecology

Journal of the Division Biodiversity, Evolution and Ecology of Plants , Institute for Plant Science and Microbiology, University of Hamburg.

Long Database Report Open Access

ForestPlots.net – managing permanent plot information across the tropics

Gabriela Lopez-Gonzalez, Mark Burkitt, Simon L. Lewis & Oliver L. Phillips

Article first published online: 24 September 2012

DOI: 10.7809/b-e.00064

*Corresponding author contact:

<< Volume 4

Biodiversity & Ecology (Biodivers. Ecol.)

Special Volume: Vegetation databases for the 21st century,
edited by Jürgen Dengler, Jens Oldeland, Florian Jansen, Milan Chytrý, Jörg Ewald, Manfred Finckh, Falko Glöckler, Gabriela Lopez-Gonzalez, Robert K. Peet & Joop H.J. Schaminée

Volume 4, pages 95–103, Sep 12

PDF (1 MB)

Keywords: carbon dynamics; long-term forest plot; relational database; tropical forest.

English

Abstract: Compiling and analysing tropical forests plot data has provided key insights into the population and carbon dynamics of tropical forests. ForestPlots.net is a web application developed to provide a secure online environment for long-term forest plot data for researchers worldwide working within international networks such as RAINFOR, AFRITRON, and TROBIT, allowing scientists to manage, analyse, and compare their data to other sites. The underlying database (GIVD ID 00-00-001) in ForestPlots.net is a relational database which utilizes more than 50 tables to store plot location, individual taxonomic information and repeated diameter measurements for trees. Currently the database holds information on more than 800 plots from 27 countries with approximately half a million tropical trees tagged, measured, and monitored through time. The web application allows users, depending on their permission level, to view, edit, upload and download data of the plots they have access to. A novel feature of the database is the query library which produces outputs for the selected plots on biomass, basal area, wood productivity, and stem dynamics.

Suggested citation:
Lopez-Gonzalez, G., Burkitt, M., Lewis, S.L., Phillips, O.L. (2012): ForestPlots.net – managing permanent plot information across the tropics. – In: Dengler, J., Oldeland, J., Jansen, F., Chytrý, M., Ewald, J., Finckh, M., Glöckler, F., Lopez-Gonzalez, G., Peet, R.K., Schaminée, J.H.J. [Eds.]: Vegetation databases for the 21st century. – Biodiversity & Ecology 4: 95–103. DOI: 10.7809/b-e.00064.