The Grand Teton Forest Dynamics Plots (GTFDP) are a set of longitudinal forest dynamics plots in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA. The plot network comprises one large, 25-ha "big plot", as well as several smaller 1-ha satellite plots. The big plot is located in an upper-montane, mixed-conifer forest at 2,200 m elevation on the north shore of Bradley Lake. The most abundant species include interior Douglas-fir, Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, lodgepole and limber pines, grey alder, Rocky Mountain maple, and aspen. The satellite plots are located in other forest types throughout the park, with an emphasis on high elevation whitebark pine forests. The plot network has been designed to capture forests that are broadly representative of mixed-conifer forests of the central Rocky Mountains.
The purpose of this plot network is to study the structure, function, and health of forests of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. This longitudinal approach provides a baseline from which future change, particularly those associated with climate and biotic disturbances, can be measured. We have implemented established sampling protocols shared by a larger network of nearly 80 similar plots located around the world (ForestGEO; https://forestgeo.si.edu/), facilitating collaborations with a diverse network of colleagues to advance understanding of forest ecosystems at regional and global scales.
These plots are unique among long-term monitoring sites in that each tree is mapped with high precision, allowing for quantification of density-dependent processes like competition and contagious diseases. We re-census the plots annually, providing a much finer temporal resolution than other forest inventory datasets and enabling accurate assessment of mortality and recruitment dynamics in response to annual climate fluctuations. The fine spatial resolution of tree maps, combined with extensive topographic and forest type variability captured by the local plot network, together create immense opportunities for continued research and provide infrastructure within which multidisciplinary collaborations may evolve.