Condit et al.: Growth and Mortality of tropical tree species in La Planada, Colombia

Growth and mortality rates were calculated for all tree species in the 25 hectare plot established in 1996 in the cloud forest of La Planada Nature Reserve by the Instituto de Investigacion de Recursos Biologicos Alexander von Humboldt. The elevation of the plot ranges from 1800 to 1900 m above sea level, and the forest is classified as pluvial premontane. All trees greater than or equal to 1 cm diameter at breast height were measured and tagged by 1997. The second census was completed from January 2001 through September 2002. Relative growth rates were calculated for each individual tree using log transformed diameters, annualized by the time interval between census measurements, then averaged within species. Outliers were excluded: stems that grew greater than 75 mm per year or shrunk more than 25% of their initial dbh. The mortality rate constants were calculated using the number of trees alive in the first census, number of survivors in the second census, averaged over the time interval.