Leaf mass per area for 105 tree species in Puerto Rico

Scientists at the International Institute of Tropical Forestry and Southern Research Station of the USDA Forest Service are using a combination of forest inventory data and tree species trait data to model and understand Caribbean forests. Leaf mass per area is an important tree species trait. It is a major indicator of tree life history strategy which, in turn, is important to managing and understanding forests. Forest products, productivity and carbon storage, nitrogen cycling, succession, diversity, drought tolerance and other forest characteristics can be related to this trait. This data publication contains the dry weight of each leaf sample, area of each leaf sample, and leaf mass per area for each sample for 105 different tree species in Puerto Rico. Leaf samples were collected October through December 2018 as well as February through March 2019. Each leaf mass per area relationship is based on samples collected from 1-6 individual trees for each species, with 1-5 replicates for each tree. Various locations were visited in Puerto Rico where a range of common species were expected to be found and samples were collected.
These data were collected to be used to model and analyze tree and seedling demography, diversity dynamics, productivity, carbon storage, and other nutrient cycling to better manage and understand Caribbean forests and tropical forests in general.