Connell Rainforest Plot Network: Tropical Rainforest Tree Demographic Data, Davies Creek Plot, Dinden National Park, Queensland, Australia, 2017

Abstract: This rainforest tree demographic data package comprises recruitment and mortality census data for rainforest trees Davies Creek Plot in Dinden National Park (25 km south west of Cairns), Queensland for 2017. 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. The Davies Creek Plot was incorporated over an existing 0.4 ha plot established by the Queensland Department of Forestry in 1951 (Nicholson et al. 1988), so the central part of the Davies Creek Plot has records extending back more than a decade prior to 1963. 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. Project abstract: This group conducts research in the rainforest investigating 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 soley 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, 2017
Alternate Title
Connell Rainforest Plot Network: Tropical Rainforest Tree Demographic Data, Dinden National Park Davies Creek, 2017
Collection Type
Dataset
Access Privileges
Long Term Ecological Research Network
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
10.25911/5c342bbe05954
Metadata Language
English
Data Language
English
Brief Description
This rainforest tree demographic data package comprises recruitment and mortality census data for rainforest trees Davies Creek Plot in Dinden National Park (25 km south west of Cairns), Queensland for 2017.
Full Description
Abstract: This rainforest tree demographic data package comprises recruitment and mortality census data for rainforest trees Davies Creek Plot in Dinden National Park (25 km south west of Cairns), Queensland for 2017. 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. The Davies Creek Plot was incorporated over an existing 0.4 ha plot established by the Queensland Department of Forestry in 1951 (Nicholson et al. 1988), so the central part of the Davies Creek Plot has records extending back more than a decade prior to 1963. 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. Project abstract: This group conducts research in the rainforest investigating 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 soley 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 Methods
1
Measuring tapes especially imported from the United States – ft and tenths of feet, and inches and tenths of inches. Star pickets mark 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 in 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, a full account of the field methods, with figures of the mapped study plots, is given in:
Connell, J.H., J.G Tracey & L.J Webb, 1984. Ecological Monographs 54: 141-164.
Connell, J.H. & Green P.T. 2000. Ecology 81: 568-584.
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 imperial and 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 (See Fig. 1). The seedlings of vines are occasionally tagged by inexperienced workers, but these are excluded from analyses.
Natural disturbance monitoring
2
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 both plots. These specimens are curated at La Trobe University. Species lists are updated as taxonomic changes are published. Taxonomic revisions pose some problems for analyses; it is impossible to apply the revised taxonomy to un-vouchered, 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
crft_davies_tree_demographic_data_2017_p775t1254.csv
absolute_x_coordinate
definitionAbsolute X Coordinate (ft)
ratio number typereal
ratio standard unitfoot
absolute_y_coordinate
definitionAbsolute Y Coordinate (ft)
ratio number typereal
ratio standard unitfoot
area
definitionSurvey location code
nominal text definitionCharacter
comment
definitionComment
nominal text definitionCharacter
dead
date time formatYYYY
definitionYear of census that death was recorded
family
definitionPlant family
nominal text definitionCharacter
girth_1978
definitionGirth in 1978 (inches)
ratio number typereal
ratio standard unitinch
girth_1986
definitionGirth in 1986 (inches)
ratio number typereal
ratio standard unitinch
girth_1992
definitionGirth in 1992 (inches)
ratio number typereal
ratio standard unitinch
girth_1996
definitionGirth in 1996 (inches)
ratio number typereal
ratio standard unitinch
girth_2006
definitionGirth in 2006 (inches)
ratio number typereal
ratio standard unitinch
girth_2013
definitionGirth in 2013 (inches)
ratio number typereal
ratio standard unitinch
girth_map
definitionGirth at time of first mapping (inches)
ratio number typereal
ratio standard unitinch
height_1980
definitionHeight in 1980 (ft)
ratio number typereal
ratio standard unitfoot
height_1986
definitionHeight in 1986 (ft)
ratio number typereal
ratio standard unitfoot
height_1992
definitionHeight in 1992 (ft)
ratio number typereal
ratio standard unitfoot
height_1998
definitionHeight in 1998 (ft)
ratio number typereal
ratio standard unitfoot
height_2006
definitionHeight in 2006 (ft)
ratio number typereal
ratio standard unitfoot
height_2013
definitionHeight in 2013 (ft)
ratio number typereal
ratio standard unitfoot
height_map
definitionHeight at time of first mapping (ft)
ratio number typereal
ratio standard unitfoot
index_1
definitionIndex 1
nominal enumeration codes
1large trees whose size was measured as diameter, not girth, due to the presence of large buttresses. In 1992 most of these were remeasured as girth above the buttress, from 6 to 12ft above the ground. The 1992 data are OK for basal area, but since measurements before 1992 are inaccurate, they should be omitted when calculating basal area or analysing growth.
2trees found in field in 1992 and 1993 which could not be located in the Master File, so original field notes need to be consulted before these can be used for analysis
3those seedling recruits from incomplete surveys which were dead the next complete recruitment survey. Omit from analysis of recruitment. The years are as follows: O’Reilly’s: 1963 dead 65, O’Reilly’s & Davies Creek: 1976 dead 78, O’Reilly’s & Davies Creek: 1992 dead 93
4seedlings or saplings that probably either a) were missed in the first mapping in 1965 and found later or b) had lost their original tag. (We refer to these in the comments as “LAZ” (for Lazarus.) We will attempt to confirm their original tag number; if this cannot be done , the index 2 numbers will be changed to 5. If the original tag no. can be confirmed, the 4 in Index 1 will be removed.
6Plants with missing data, eg. missing Ht 1; we need to check original notes.
NAN/A
index_2
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
index_3
definitionIndex 3
nominal enumeration codes
4Trunk broken when tree was alive
8Killed or badly damaged by nearby tree fall
NAN/A
index_4
definitionIndex 4
nominal enumeration codes
NAN/A
line
definitionLine number (belt transect numeric identifier)
nominal text definitionCharacter
map
date time formatYYYY
definitionYear the stem(s) were originally mapped
number of records4843
number_replicates
definitionCount of recruit seedlings in a 3 x 3 feet square. A plant that is tagged, mapped and measured individually will be assigned replicate number of "1"
ratio number typewhole
ratio standard unitnumber
record_id
definitionRecord identification number
nominal text definitionCharacter
species
definitionScientific name
nominal text definitionCharacter
species_code
definitionSpecies code number
nominal text definitionSpecies code number
tag
definitionTag number numeric identifier
nominal text definitionCharacter
x_coordinate
definitionX coordinates chainage (feet)
interval number typenatural
interval standard unitfoot
y_coordinate
definitionY coordinates chainage (feet)
interval number typenatural
interval standard unitfoot
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
Joseph Connell
Fields of Research
0602 - Ecology
Keywords
GCMD:Biosphere > Ecological Dynamics > Community Dynamics; GCMD:Biosphere > Ecological Dynamics > Species/Population Interactions > Population Dynamics; GCMD:Biosphere > Terrestrial Ecosystems > Forests; GCMD:Biological Classification > Plants; LTERN Monitoring Theme:Vegetation structure; LTERN Monitoring Theme:Plant species abundance; LTERN Monitoring Theme:Individual plants; keyword:Girth; keyword:Height; keyword:Diameter; keyword:Population dynamics; keyword:Seedling recruitment; keyword:Sub-tropical; Connell Rainforest; Davies Creek; Tropical Rainforest Tree Demographic Data, Dinden National Park
Type of Research Activity
Strategic basic research
Date Coverage
2017
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
2017
Year of data publication
2017
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:ltern9.68; PackageId:775
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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