Database Report

Colombian Forest Plot Network (Col-Tree) -- Database forest inventory of native forests in Colombia for large trees (trunk diameter> = 10 cm)

Esteban Alvarez-Dávila

GIVD Database ID: SA-CO-003	Last update: 2021-09-27
Colombian Forest Plot Network (Col-Tree)	Web address: https://fconvida.org/
Database manager(s): Esteban Alvarez-Dávila (esalvarez3000@gmail.com)
Owner: Esteban Alvarez-Dávila esalvarez3000@gmail.com
Scope: Our goal is to establish a network of temporary and permanent plots for the study of diversity, structure and dynamics of forests in Colombia (South America). This network was named COLTREE. The network includes all most all Colombian biogeographic regions such as Andean mountains, Magdalena valley, Caribbean Coast, Amazonia, Orinoquía and Chocó Region. Our goal is to establish a network of temporary and permanent plots for the study of diversity, structure and dynamics of forests in Colombia. The specific objectives of the COLTREE Network are 1) to analyze tree species richness, composition and distributional patterns; 2) to quantify the mortality and recruitment rates as well as changes in basal area, biomass and carbon storage; 3) to evaluate hypotheses related with drivers of forest structure and dynamics such as energy-diversity or water availability; and 4) to contribute towards explaining the relationship between primary net productivity, tree mortality and biomass. Some of our parcels are included in other networks for the study of tropical forests like the Amazon Forest Inventory Network - RAINFOR (www.rainfor.org) where work is based on the database ForestPlots (www.forestplots.net). Currently the database Col-Tree contains information of large trees (DBH> = 10cm) in plots between 0.25 and 1 ha, of 150 locations in Colombia. Aditionally we are working to include forest plots with information from other groups of vascular plants (shrubs, vines, grasses, ferns, etc. ) and non-vascular plants (bryophytes), in about 1000 sites widely distributed in Colombia.
Abstract:
Availability: according to a specific agreement	Online upload: no	Online search: no
Database format(s): Excel	Export format(s): Excel, CSV file
Plot type(s): normal plots, nested plots, time series	Plot-size range (m²): 2500 to 50000
Non-overlapping plots: 150	Estimate of existing plots: 150	Completeness: 100%	Status: ongoing capture
Total no. of plot observations: 0	Number of sources (biblioreferences, data collectors): 5	Valid taxa: 1400
Countries (%): CO: 100
Formations: Forest: 100% = Terrestrial: 100%
Guilds: only trees and shrubs: 100%
Plot size categories (%): 1000-10000 m2: 95%; >= 10000 m2: 5%;
Environmental data (%): altitude: 100; microrelief: 100; surface cover other than plants (open soil, litter, bare rock etc.): 20; other soil attributes: 30; land use categories: 100
Performance measure(s): number of individuals: 100%
Geographic localisation: GPS coordinates (precision 25 m or less): 95%; point coordinates less precise than GPS, up to 1 km: 5%
Sampling periods:
Information as of 2026-06-14; further details and future updates available from http://www.givd.info/ID/SA-CO-003

Esteban Alvarez-Dávila* (esalvarez3000@gmail.com)
Ecosystem services and climatic change Lab, Mdellín Botanical Garden, Calle 73 N 51D 14, 050010 Medellín, COLOMBIA
* corresponding author