Data from: Are landscape attributes a useful shortcut for classifying vegetation in the tropics? A case study of La Amistad International Park

Effective vegetation classification schemes identify the
processes determining species assemblages and support the management of
protected areas. They can also provide a framework for ecological research.
In the tropics, elevation-based classifications dominate over alternatives
such as river catchments. Given the existence of floristic data for many
localities, we ask how useful floristic data are for developing
classification schemes in species-rich tropical landscapes and whether
floristic data provide support for classification by river catchment. We
analysed the distribution of vascular plant species within 141 plots across
an elevation gradient of 130 to 3200 m asl within La Amistad National
Park. We tested the hypothesis that river catchment, combined with
elevation, explains much of the variation in species composition. We found
that annual mean temperature, elevation, and river catchment variables best
explained the variation within local species communities. However, only
plots in high elevation oak forest and Páramo were distinct from those in
low and mid-elevation zones. Beta-diversity did not significantly differ in
plots grouped by elevation zones, except for low elevation forest, although
it did differ between river catchments. None of the analyses identified
discrete vegetation assemblages within mid-elevation (700 – 2600 m asl)
plots. Our analysis supports the hypothesis that river catchment can be an
alternative means for classifying tropical forest assemblages in
conservation settings.