Data for: Hidden decay of live trees in a tropical rain forest

These data are associated with a study to assess the scale and patterns of internal wood decay in live trees of the tropical forest on Barro Colorado Island, Republic of Panama.  We used acoustic tomography to measure prevalence and severity of decay in 1744 live trees (> 20 cm diameter) of 171 species on the 50-ha Forest Dynamics Plot. Most trees showed some signs of internal decay, with larger trees suffering more decay. Decay prevalence and severity varied among species. The results suggest that that hidden wood decay affects a large proportion of living tropical forest trees.

Methods
Internal decay of wood in trunks of live trees was measured using sonic tomography (Picus 3, Argus Electronic GmbH) on trees on the 50-ha Forest Dynamics Plot on Barro Colorado Island, Republic of Panama.