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term has been used to describe concepts as different as landscape heterogeneity,
community structural complexity and species variability. Species diversity is often
used as a convenient proxy for genetic diversity, and will be here.
Ricklefs (1990) has stated, "Because the diversity of plants as primary resources
rather straightforwardly determines the diversity of animals, the most rigorous tests
of general explanations for diversity lie in their application to plant communities."
This trend is particularly so because plants marshal an extraordinary array of physical
Table 1. Partner institutions and lead scientists with the Center for Tropical Forest Science,
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Country (Site)
Partner institution and lead scientist
CAMEROON (Korup Forest) BioResources and Development Conservation Programme:
COLUMBIA (La Planada)
CONGO (Ituri)
ECUADOR (Yasuni)
INDIA (Mudumalai)
MALAYSIA (Pasoh)
MALAYSIA (Lambir)
PANAMA
(Barro Colorado Island)
PUERTO RICO (Luquillo)
PHILIPPINES (Palanan)
SRI LANKA (Sinharaja)
THAILAND
(Huai Kha Khaeng)
(Khao Chong)
N. Songwe
Instituto de Investigaci6n de Resursos Biologicos "Alexander
von Humboldt": C. Samper
Centre de Formation et de Recherche en Conservation
Forestiere: J.-R. Makana
Wildlife Conservation Society: T. Hart
Pontifica Universidad Catolica de Ecuador: R. Valencia
University of Aarhus, Denmark: H. Balslev
Indian Institute of Science: R. Sukumar
Forest Research Institute: N. Manokaran
National Institute for Environmental Studies (Japan): T.
Okuda
Sarawak Forest Department: S. Tan
Osaka City University: T. Yamakura
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: R. Condit
University of Puerto Rico: J. Thompson
U.S. Forest Service
Isabela State University: R. Arafio
University of Peradeniya: C.V.S. Gunatilleke
Sri Lanka Forest Department
Royal Thai Forest Department: S. Bunyavejchewin
National Institute for Environmental Studies (Japan): T.
Okuda