The field work for establishing a 20-ha permanent monitoring plot for subtropical forest dynamics in Ailao Mountains has been finished in late December 2014. The 20-ha plot is an expansion of the former 6-ha plot in Ailao Mountains. Site selection, mapping, and positioning have been completed in March. Every woody stem≥1cm in diameter at 1.3 m height was measured, mapped and identified.

The expansion of the forest plot was started from late 2013. Survey of plot, tagging, mapping of trees, and tree census were finished. All trees were tagged with aluminum tags. The survey and tree census methods employed on the plot have followed the protocols of the Center for Tropical Forest Science (CTFS), Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

Storage and analysis of the data collected will be major tasks in the following months for the establishment of the large plot.

The 20-ha Ailaoshan forest plot is a research project affiliated with Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG). It lies in old-growth evergreen broad-leaved forest. The plot is used for the study of the biodiversity and dynamics of tree populations.

The functions of the 20-ha subtropical forest dynamics plot are to monitor tree species diversity, and abundance, as well as tree growth and survival on long term basis to enable the study of forest dynamics. It will be monitored for scientific research on forest sciences and climate change. It will also generate deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind changes in biomass and carbon storage in subtropical forests, and create extensive data sets on structural elements of the forest floor in addition to the live overstory.

The 20-ha plot in Ailao Mountains

Field work

Link: A 20-ha forest dynamics plot to be established in Ailao Mountains