Description:This book provides a detailed account of the methods used to establish the Barro Colorado Island plot - with records on 325,000 individual trees the largest original forest census in the world. It also reviews methodologies used at 11 other large plots that are part of the Center for Tropical Forest Science (CTFS) network. It includes numerous distribution maps as well as maps of key environmental variables. The book is the perfect guide for establishing new plots, including both budgeting and scheduling, and offers details on the required methodology.