Overview

TROPIS, the Tree Growth and Permanent Plot Information System, seeks to help forest scientists make better use of existing tree growth information by:

• supporting a network of people willing to share permanent plot data and tree growth information through a variety of ways, including the sources hosted at this site newsletters, links, etc.
• maintaining an searchable index of people and institutions holding permanent plot data in both plantations and natural forests
• making a database management system available to assist more efficient management of permanent plot data (Mirasilv, developed by CATIE and currently under beta test)
• providing a way to identify comparable sites in other regions, allowing data from elsewhere to be used when no local growth information exists (under development, more information)
• offering access to an inference system to allow growth estimates to be made in the absence of empirical data (Plantgro and Infer)

The TROPIS index contains details about the objectives of experiments and plot systems; about the location, nature and species composition of plots within these systems; and details about relevant contact people. It does not contain any raw data, growth data, or information likely to infringe intellectual property rights. It includes information on re-measured plots, including species/provenance trials; thinning, spacing and other silvicultural experiments; and continuous inventory systems. The plots need not be current, but the location of the plot must be known, and the data should be available (any reproducible and durable media, from paper records to computer databases).

Searching TROPIS

The TROPIS index allows users to search for plots which have taxa, locations, treatments, or other specified criteria and combinations. It has been designed to allow a wide range of search criteria, including e.g., searches for plots

• with particular species and/or locations (regions, latitudes, elevations, etc)
• planted with more than one species and encompassing a range of spacing and thinning treatments
• in logged-over natural forest with several remeasures spanning at least 40 years

The main outcome of such searches is a list of people to contact, with details of the nature and amount of relevant data held. A catalogue of past searches is also maintained, so clients with similar requests can be advised of their common interests. To request a search, simply tell us what you are looking for, and we will try to find any relevant information and contacts. Please be specific in specifying your needs, and the amount of detail you want in the response (e.g., do you want full postal addresses as well as email and fax numbers?). Send your request to Tini Gumartini.

Contributing to TROPIS

If you have access to permanent plot data, please contribute towards this goal by completing the data entry form , giving details of any permanent plots that you know about. Note that you may contribute information on many experiment/plot systems, each of which may contain many plot records. Thus it may be efficient to complete the top third or two-thirds of the form and copy it several times before completing the remainder. Alternatively, if your database system is able to produce summaries of this kind in electronic form, please contact CIFOR to discuss the most convenient way to exchange this information. Send the completed form to Tini Gumartini, CIFOR, PO Box 6596 JKPWB, Jakarta 10065, Indonesia, or by fax to +62 251 622100.

Further information

Read a more detailed description or email Tini Gumartini