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
analyzed 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.