The Diversity and Forest Change Workshop IV co-sponsored by Center for Tropical Forest Science, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute（CTFS) and Chinese Forest Biodiversity Monitoring Network (CForBio) was held in Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) during July 28 and August 8. The workshop was undertaken by XTBG and brought together 48 field biologists from 16 countries or regions.The workshop covered different aspects of the global forest biodiversity monitoring network.  

The workshop was divided into 4 groups: spatial distribution patterns of populations; communities and population dynamics; community functions and phylogenies; relationships of biodiversity and ecosystem functions. The attendants discussed the hot points in current ecology research based on the data obtained from large long-term plots all over the world and wrote and revised papers. 

The participants were offered 19 presentations were made during the workshop. They also made field trips to the 20-ha tropical forest dynamics plot, tropical rainforest within XTBG, and the green stone forest. 

On the last day of the workshop, 23 participants presented their analysis results. 

This is the fourth CTFS- CForBio Workshop. The past three workshops were held in Changbai Mountain Research Station of Forest Ecosystems in 2011, University of Washington in 2012, and Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in 2013. The next workshop will be held in Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama in 2015. 

XTBG director CHEN Jin warmly welcome the attendents

CTFS director Stuart Davies speaks

Listening to lectures

Field trip to 20-ha plot