Forest stand structure and composition in 96 sites along environmental gradients in the central Western Ghats of India

International audienceThis data set reports woody plant species abundances in a network of 96sampling sites spread across 22 000 km2 in the central Western Ghats region, Karnataka, India(748150–758400 E; 158150–138300 N). Due to its varied climate and diverse topography, thestudy area, which is part of the Western Ghats–Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot, supports awide array of non-equatorial tropical habitats including wet evergreen, moist and drydeciduous, and intact as well as degraded forests and scrublands. These formations,floristically moderately rich and diversified, are characterized by a lower rate of endemismthan in the southern part of the Western Ghats. This data paper provides abundance and girthdata for 76 813 trees and lianas of 446 species collected in 96 sampling sites during 1996–1997.A total of 61 965 individuals _10-cm girth at breast height (gbh) were recorded in 96 1-hamacroplots, while 14 848 individuals ,10 cm gbh, but .1 m height, were sampled in three 0.1-ha microplots located within each macroplot. Additional data regarding the stand structure(average canopy height, percent canopy cover, number of strata) and the level of degradationare available for the macroplots, along with environmental data derived from other sourcesand analyses, such as soil types, rainfall, length of the dry season, and altitude. These datahave been used to produce ecological research papers, as well as to elaborate conservationvalue maps and recommendations toward sustainable management of the forests of the centralWestern Ghats regio