NPP Tropical Forest: John Crow Ridge, Jamaica, 1974-1978


[PHOTOGRAPH]
Photograph: Tropical montane forest near the John Crow Ridge site (click on the photo to view a series of images from this site)

Data Citation

Cite this data set as follows:

Tanner, E. V. J., and P. J. Grubb. 1999. NPP Tropical Forest: John Crow Ridge, Jamaica, 1974-1978. Data set. Available on-line [http://www.daac.ornl.gov] from Oak Ridge National Laboratory Distributed Active Archive Center, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.

Description

Biomass and productivity were determined for four sub-types of an upper montane tropical forest along John Crow Ridge in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica, from 1974 to 1978. These measurements formed part of a study of nutrient cycling carried out in collaboration with the University of the West Indies. More recent studies have covered regrowth after hurricane damage and regeneration on landslides.

The John Crow Ridge study area (18.08 N 76.65 W) comprises four sub-sites (one measured at two similar locations), selected on the Grand Ridge of the western Blue Mountains, between Morce's Gap and John Crow Peak. Each sub-site consists of 8 or 10 contiguous permanent plots, each 10 m x 10 m. The forest is of low stature, and appeared to be completely undisturbed at the commencement of the study. The forest floor at one sub-site (Mor Ridge) was overlain by a 30-50 cm layer of mor humus with a high C/N ratio.

Above-ground net primary productivity was estimated to be in the range 654-997 g/m2/year (sum of litterfall and trunk/branch increment), or 854-1057 g/m2/year (including tree mortality). These figures are lower than for lowland tropical forest, with a greater proportion accounted for by leaf turnover; this is reflected by the relatively low stature of the upper montane forest. Long-term climate data is available from Cinchona Botanic Gardens, approximately 3 km south of the John Crow Ridge study area and at similar elevation. Daily precipitation data, December 1973 - March 1983, are also available on request. However, Tanner (pers. comm.) found a poor correlation between bi-weekly precipitation at John Crow Ridge and Cinchona, presumably because of the mountainous terrain.

Contact Information

Contact: Dr. Edmund V. J. Tanner
Department of Plant Sciences
University of Cambridge
Downing Street
Cambridge CB2 3EA
U.K.

Tel. +44 (1223) 333912/ 332462
Fax +44 (1223) 333953
E-mail: evt1@cus.cam.ac.uk

Alternative Contact: Dr. Peter J. Grubb
Department of Plant Sciences
University of Cambridge
Downing Street
Cambridge CB2 3EA
U.K.

Tel. +44 (1223) 333911/ 332100
Fax +44 (1223) 333953
E-mail: pjg12@cus.cam.ac.uk

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