Connell Rainforest Plot Network: Tropical Rainforest Tree Demographic Data, Davies Creek Plot, Dinden National Park, Queensland, Australia, 2013

Abstract: This rainforest tree data package comprises stand structure data for rainforest trees at the Davies Creek Plot in Dinden National Park, (25 km south west of Cairns), Queensland for 2013. This plot consists of one 1.7 hectare plot in tropical rainforest, established in 1963. Rainforest tree attributes recorded comprise the size (height or girth) of tagged and mapped, free-standing stems of shrub and tree species. Sampling has been undertaken at intervals of 1-6 years since 1963; this data package is from the most recent full re-census of the plot in October 2013, and essentially provides a snapshot of stand structure on the site. This data package forms part of the collection of vegetation data undertaken at plots situated in both Lamington National Park and Davies Creek initiated by Professor Joseph H. Connell (University of California, Santa Barbara) in 1963. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Connell Rainforest Plot Network’s full program is provided at https://doi.org/10.25911/5c13444388e1b. Sampling method: The Dinden National Park Plot is a 1.7 hectare plot. The plot was selected by Prof. Joseph H. Connell in 1963 on the advice of his CSIRO collaborators Dr Len Webb and Mr Geoff Tracey, and was chosen for three reasons; it was accessible, it was unlogged, and a smaller 0.4 ha plot belonging to the Queensland Department of Forestry had already been established there in 1951. This plot is one of two plots established by Connell in 1963 – the other is in subtropical rainforest near O’Reilly’s Guesthouse in Lamington National Park, 65 km south of Brisbane. The same sampling methods are employed at both plots, at intervals of 1-6 years. Study extent: None Project abstract: This group conducts research in the rainforest looking at tree demographics. Project funding: The National Science Foundation was the sole funder of this research between 1963 and 2003. Between 2012 and 2018 this project was solely funded through the Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN) a facility within the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) and supported by the Australian Government through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy.
Type
collection
Title
Connell Rainforest Plot Network: Tropical Rainforest Tree Demographic Data, Davies Creek Plot, Dinden National Park, Queensland, Australia, 2013
Alternate Title
Connell Rainforest Plot Network: Tropical Rainforest Tree Demographic Data, Dinden National Park Davies Creek, 2013
Collection Type
Dataset
Access Privileges
Long Term Ecological Research Network
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
10.25911/5c34286581290
Metadata Language
English
Data Language
English
Brief Description
This rainforest tree data package comprises stand structure data for rainforest trees at the Davies Creek Plot in Dinden National Park, (25 km south west of Cairns), Queensland for 2013.
Full Description
Abstract: This rainforest tree data package comprises stand structure data for rainforest trees at the Davies Creek Plot in Dinden National Park, (25 km south west of Cairns), Queensland for 2013. This plot consists of one 1.7 hectare plot in tropical rainforest, established in 1963. Rainforest tree attributes recorded comprise the size (height or girth) of tagged and mapped, free-standing stems of shrub and tree species. Sampling has been undertaken at intervals of 1-6 years since 1963; this data package is from the most recent full re-census of the plot in October 2013, and essentially provides a snapshot of stand structure on the site. This data package forms part of the collection of vegetation data undertaken at plots situated in both Lamington National Park and Davies Creek initiated by Professor Joseph H. Connell (University of California, Santa Barbara) in 1963. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Connell Rainforest Plot Network’s full program is provided at https://doi.org/10.25911/5c13444388e1b. Sampling method: The Dinden National Park Plot is a 1.7 hectare plot. The plot was selected by Prof. Joseph H. Connell in 1963 on the advice of his CSIRO collaborators Dr Len Webb and Mr Geoff Tracey, and was chosen for three reasons; it was accessible, it was unlogged, and a smaller 0.4 ha plot belonging to the Queensland Department of Forestry had already been established there in 1951. This plot is one of two plots established by Connell in 1963 – the other is in subtropical rainforest near O’Reilly’s Guesthouse in Lamington National Park, 65 km south of Brisbane. The same sampling methods are employed at both plots, at intervals of 1-6 years. Study extent: None Project abstract: This group conducts research in the rainforest looking at tree demographics. Project funding: The National Science Foundation was the sole funder of this research between 1963 and 2003. Between 2012 and 2018 this project was solely funded through the Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN) a facility within the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) and supported by the Australian Government through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy.
Methods
General
1
Measuring tapes especially imported from the United States – feet and tenths of feet, and inches and tenths of inches. Star pickets marks the ends of transects, and short steel posts mark transects at 25 feet intervals. Plants are tagged with numbered aluminium tags, attached to the plant using loops of insulated copper wire on smaller stems, or nailed onto larger stems. There are no environmental monitoring devices on the plot.
Prof Joseph H. Connell (University of California, Santa Barbara) established a long-term forest dynamics plot in 1963, in tropical rainforest at Dinden National Park, 25 km south west of Cairns. The plot is 1.7 hectare, and was established over an existing an existing 0.4 ha plot established by the Queensland Department of Forestry in 1951. This plot has never been logged.
Although a summary of methods employed in the study has been provided below, the reader should refer to a comprehensive description of the methods and the plot configuration provided in the Conceptual Design (p 84) and accompanying documentation.
In summary, samples of trees in three broad size classes have been monitored on the plots over several decades. ‘Large trees’ (≥ 10.0 cm dbh) were first tagged, mapped and measured in 1963 across both plots. At the same time, ‘medium trees’ (2.5 cm dbh but < 10.0 cm dbh) were mapped and tagged along several belt transects 6.1 m wide running through the plot, centred on survey lines 20.1 m apart. The medium-tree belt transects comprise 30% of each plot. In 1965, ‘small trees’ (tiny seedlings to saplings < 2.5 cm dbh), were mapped and tagged along narrower transects either 1.8 or 3.6 m wide, centred on the same survey lines used to sample medium trees. Large trees rooted outside the plot boundaries, but whose canopies extended over the plots have also been monitored.
Large and medium trees are tagged with numbered aluminium tree tags inscribed with a unique number, nailed into the trunk with galvanized nails. Small trees are also tagged with numbered aluminium tags, attached to the plant using loops of insulated copper wire. The plots are laid out and trees are mapped using engineering units (feet and tenths of feet). Large and medium trees are measured for girth at breast height using inches and tenths of inches, and small trees are measured for height in feet and tenths of feet. These are converted to SI Units for analyses and publication. The belt transects comprise 30% of each plot. The seedlings of vines are occasionally tagged by inexperienced workers, but these are excluded from analyses.
Further details relating to the methods employed by the Connell Rainforest Plot Network during this study can be found on the LTERN Plot Network site.
Natural disturbance monitoring
2
See instrumentation details in "general" methods section.
Gaps created by the death of large canopy trees have been systematically surveyed many times over the decades until 2002, with the boundaries of the gaps being noted on hand drawn maps. These maps have never been digitized, and the originals are held at the University of California. Copies of some later maps are held by Peter Green at La Trobe University.
Floristic identification, vouchers and lists
3
Voucher specimens have been collected on an ad hoc basis over the years for many individuals on the plot. These specimens are subject to curation at La Trobe University. Species lists are updated as taxonomic changes are published. Major taxonomic revisions of the rainforest Myrtaceae and Lauraceae pose some problems for analyses. These revisions have erected many new species and changed old ones, and of course it is impossible to apply the revised taxonomy to unvouchered specimens (i.e. dead stems).
Surveys for canopy cover and understorey light environments
4
Stand structure, canopy cover and variation in understorey light environments have not been measured systematically on the plots. Under LTERN, new surveys for canopy cover and understorey light environments using hemispherical photography are being incorporated into regular plot monitoring.
File Descriptions
ltern_crft_tree_demographic_daviescreek_project.csv (P61T17)
"AbsX"
definitionAbsolute X coordinate (ft)
interval number typewhole
interval standard unitfoot
"AbsY"
definitionAbsolute Y coordinate (ft)
interval number typewhole
interval standard unitfoot
"Area"
definitionLocation ID
nominal text definitionCharacter
"Comment"
definitionComment
nominal text definitionText
"Dead"
date time formatYYYY
definitionDate of census that death was recorded
"Family"
definitionPlant family
nominal text definitionText
"G.2013"
definitionGirth 7 in 2013 in inches
ratio number typewhole
ratio standard unitinch
"H.2013"
definitionHeight in 2013 in feet
ratio number typewhole
ratio standard unitfoot
"Idx2"
definitionIndex 2
nominal enumeration codes
9At both sites, individuals that occur beyond the boundaries of the standard census areas. Omit from most analyses.
NAN/A
"Line"
definitionLine number (belt transect numeric identifier)
nominal text definitionCharacter
"Map"
date time formatYYYY
definitionDate the stem(s) were originally mapped
"RcID"
definitionRecord identification number
nominal text definitionCharacter
"Repl"
definitionNo. of replicate seedlings within a 3x3 ft square, used when new seedlings are too numerous to tag and map individually
interval number typewhole
interval standard unitnumber
"Spec"
definitionSpecies code number
nominal text definitionCharacter
"Species"
definitionSpecies recorded
nominal text definitionText
"Tag"
definitionTag number Numeric identifier
nominal text definitionCharacter
"X"
definitionX coordinates (ft) Chainage (feet)
interval number typewhole
interval standard unitfoot
"Y"
definitionY coordinates (ft) Chainage (feet)
interval number typewhole
interval standard unitfoot
number of records10280
Contact Email
P.Green@latrobe.edu.au
Contact Address
Biological Sciences II LaTrobe University Bundoora, Vic., 3086 Australia
Contact Phone Number
+61 3 9479 3675
Contact Fax Number
+61 3 9479 1188
Principal Investigator
Peter Green
Supervisors
Peter Green
Collaborators
Dick Williams; Joseph Connell
Fields of Research
0602 - Ecology
Keywords
GCMD:Biological Classification > Plants; GCMD:Biosphere > Ecological Dynamics > Community Dynamics; GCMD:Biosphere > Ecological Dynamics > Species/Population Dynamics; GCMD:Biosphere > Terrestrial Ecosystems > Forests; LTERN Monitoring Theme:Vegetation structure; LTERN Monitoring Theme:Plant species composition; LTERN Monitoring Theme:Plant species abundance; LTERN Monitoring Theme:Individual plants; LTERN Monitoring Theme:On plot weather; keyword:Girth; keyword:Height; keyword:Diameter; keyword:Population dynamics; keyword:Seedling recruitment; keyword:Tropical; Connell Rainforest; Davies Creek; Tropical Rainforest Tree Demographic Data, Dinden National Park
Type of Research Activity
Strategic basic research
Date Coverage
2013
Geospatial Location
Davies Creek Plot, Dinden National Park, Queensland, Australia
text
northlimit = -17.0316; southlimit = -17.0361; westlimit = 145.622; eastLimit = 145.626
iso19139dcmiBox
Date of data creation
2014-08-15
Year of data publication
2014
Creator(s) for Citation
Green
Peter
Publisher for Citation
Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN), ANU Data Commons, The Australian National University
Related Websites
ANU Open Research, Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN) collection.
https://hdl.handle.net/1885/130861
Other Related Identifiers
MorphoId:ltern2.27; PackageId:61
Access Rights
Prior to publication of research utilising this data - the data provider (Dr Peter Green) requests consultation.
Access Rights Type
Open
Rights held in and over the data
Creative Commons Licence (CC BY- Attribution) is assigned to this data. Details of the licence can be found at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Licence Type
CC-BY - Attribution (Version 4)
Licence
LTERN Deed: 49 Date of execution:2018-01-22
Retention Period
Indefinitely
Data Management Plan
No
Status: Published
Published to:
  • Australian National University
  • Australian National Data Service
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