Morning Introduction to the Workshop, Vision and Objectives

1. Assessment of Long-Term Forest Dynamics in the Caribbean Introduction to the Workshop Morning • Introduction to the Workshop, Vision and Objectives • Implementation of the Forest Inventory Program • Database Concepts Mid-morning • Examples of Caribbean Permanent Plots Afternoon • Examples of Data Analyses • Data Sharing and Regional Synthesis, Working Group Themes • Identifying Forest Research Sites and Plots in the Caribbean; using Caribbean Foresters website • Exhibition and Discussion of Country Report Posters

2. Assessment of Long-Term Forest Dynamics in the Caribbean Introduction to the Workshop During the last meeting of Caribbean Foresters at Guadalupe, presentations from permanent forest plots lead to an insight - the need to compare the results from various Caribbean countries. Although it is clear that there are many permanent forest plots in the region, the data remain in a range of accessibility conditionsand have not been effectively analyzed their regional implications.

3. Assessment of Long-Term Forest Dynamics in the Caribbean Introduction to the Workshop After we reach the goal of understanding regional Caribbean forest dynamics, we can place this knowledge in a broader context of the tropics. Are Caribbean forests which are subjected to periodic hurricane effects, functioning at higher turnover rates than Amazonian forests? Does functioning at higher turnover rates then translate into maybe quicker capacity to adapt to changing environmental conditions? Currently, we lack a systematic analysis of permanent forest plots in the Caribbean that would help address this and other questions about the dynamics of these forests. Such an analysis would enrich generalizations of tropical forest dynamics based on solely continental forests. -Usually the Caribbean is treated as an “outlier”

4. Assessment of Long-Term Forest Dynamics in the Caribbean Introduction to the Workshop Often the awareness of the complexity of tropical forests limits our ability to generalize from small scale or single species experiments to whole ecosystem or regional levels. Therefore, to address the complex problems of how tropical forests will respond to increasing environmental change, we will need a base of understanding about the dynamics of these forests. This understanding can be obtained with the analysis of regional permanent forest plots.

5. Assessment of Long-Term Forest Dynamics in the Caribbean Introduction to the Workshop • Plots are not the end, but the means to answer regional scale questions Two reasons that justify the importance of permanent plots (1) trees in tropical environments lack annual growth rings only through periodic measurements of the same stems can we acquire reliable data on stand dynamics and growth (2) periodic observations of stands in permanent forest plots lead to insights about how tropical forests respond to accelerated environmental change in tropical countries.

6. Assessment of Long-Term Forest Dynamics in the Caribbean Introduction to the Workshop Overviewof plots in the region There are many permanent forest plots which were recently established • These have one or two measurements; • Plots are established for forest production, protected area management, ecological studies • Most plots are georeferenced • Most are in an electronic format Identified challenges- To develop a plot database that can meet the needs for many users that can be analyzed at scales appropriate for their needs. (working on website database) To find the time and resources to maintain the plots and their data in perpetuity. (support from regional collaborators)

7. Assessment of Long-Term Forest Dynamics in the Caribbean Introduction to the Workshop We propose that the main question to be addressed by the emergent working groups is the detection of change in forest stands as a result of environmental change, particularly hurricane effects and climate change. Specific targets of inquiry are changes in: (1) stem or biomass turnover, (2) tree growth rates, (3) structural attributes, and (4) species composition. A suggested initial geographic focus will be hurricane-exposed Caribbean forests, followed by comparisons to those with minimal or no hurricane events.

8. Assessment of Long-Term Forest Dynamics in the Caribbean Introduction to the Workshop Goals of the workshop are then: • To strengthen the Caribbean foresters network by • Maintaining the meeting itself is a primary platform for regional collaboration. • Identifying sites with potential for among-island or regional collaboration • Establishing various working groups to (among other issues) • Prepare a Data Sharing Agreement or Memorandum of Understating for the Caribbean Foresters • Present analyses needed to be conducted at the Caribbean regional level • Sharing data and communicating advances, on-going research, and new ideas regionally 2) To address ecological issues of stand dynamics in light of hurricane disturbances and climate change.

9. Assessment of Long-Term Forest Dynamics in the Caribbean Introduction to the Workshop • Other immediate goals • -Establishing a data sharing, authorship and acknowledgements agreement • -Publishing the Agreement for data sharing (like a declaration in the Proceedings) • -Agreeing on a question to answer collaboratively • -Publish new site based results and then publish regional results A data sharing agreement can have the condition that memberscould re-evaluate the agreement every few years. - technological advances -data becomes controversial due to an endemic or endangered species. Then the agreement can be revisited and reevaluated periodically; do this as a consensus – not unilateral – the collaborative group has the domain not the individual. Contribution to and Use of the data means co-authorship. Manuscripts/papers that use the data coauthored by those who provided the data.

10. Assessment of Long-Term Forest Dynamics in the Caribbean Introduction to the Workshop The workshop today aims to begin to facilitate analysis at the Caribbean regional levelby -presenting basic database concepts -showing examples of potential analyses -identifying and registering sites (through the website) to participate in a regional analysis network. • The ultimate purpose of the workshop is to address ecological issues of stand dynamics in the Caribbean • Contributing insights to management under environmental change. • Putting in perspective Caribbean forests in a broader tropical context.

11. Assessment of Long-Term Forest Dynamics in the Caribbean Introduction to the Workshop Morning • Introduction to the Workshop, Vision and Objectives • Implementation of the Forest Inventory Program • Database Concepts Mid-morning • Examples of Caribbean Permanent Plots Afternoon • Examples of Data Analyses • Data Sharing and Regional Synthesis, Working Group Themes • Identifying Forest Research Sites and Plots in the Caribbean; using Caribbean Foresters website • Exhibition and Discussion of Country Report Posters