Physical environment of the Luquillo Forest Dynamics Plot (LFDP), Puerto Rico

This file contains data that describe the physical and environmental attributes of the LFDP. The attributes include elevation, topography type, and percentage slope. All data are given for the 20 m by 20 m quadrat scale. Information on soils are taken form an interpolation of the soil map produced by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, US Department of Agriculture (Soil Survey 1995). Other information from the elevation of each of the corner posts defining the quadrats.The National Science Foundation requires that data from projects it funds are posted on the web two years after any data set has been organized and “cleaned”. The data from each census of the LFDP will be updated at intervals as each survey of the LFDP shows errors in the previous data collection. After posting on the web, researchers who are not part of the project are then welcome to use the data. Given the enormous amount of time, effort and resources required to manage the LFDP, obtain these data, and ensure data accuracy, LFDP Principal Investigators request that researchers intending to use this data comply with the requests below. Through complying with these requests we can ensure that the data are interpreted correctly, analyses are not repeated unnecessarily, beneficial collaboration between users is promoted and the Principle Investigators investment in this project is protected. Support for this work was provided by grants BSR-8811902, DEB-9411973, DEB-9705814 , DEB-0080538, DEB-0218039 , DEB-0620910 , DEB-1239764, DEB-1546686, and DEB-1831952 from the National Science Foundation to the University of Puerto Rico as part of the Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research Program. Additional support provided by the University of Puerto Rico and the International Institute of Tropical Forestry, USDA Forest Service.