[Dataset:] Seed data per trap for 18 Barro Colorado Island tree species for the period 2008-2012

Abstract

This seed production dataset contains information on total seed captures per trap for the period 2008/01/02 until 2012/05/16 for 18 tree species from Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Seed captures are observed in 200 seed traps located in a stratified random manner along trails within the 50-ha Forest Dynamics Plot (FDP) on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, and 50 additional traps established in gaps (Puerta-Piñero et al. 2013). See dataset: DOI: 10.5479/data.bci.20130603. Seeds were identified to species and counted weekly (see Wright et al. 1999). Seed production was estimated as the total observed seed rain (total seed arrival over the entire period in 200 0.5 m2 seed traps), combining mature fruits and diaspores as well as fruits with damage (e.g. with insect emergence holes) and immature fruits as these contain viable seeds (Dalling et al., 1998). Fruits were multiplied with the average number of seeds per fruit. Seed number per fruit were estimated from field samples, the value (1500) for Cecropia insignis is obtained from literature (Dalling et al., 1998).