TROPIS (coordinated by CIFOR) seeks to help forest scientists make better use of existing tree growth information by:
supporting a network of people willing to share permanent plot data and tree growth information
maintaining an searchable index of people and institutions holding permanent plot data in both plantations and natural forests
making a database management system available to assist more efficient management of permanent plot data (Mirasilv, developed by CATIE and currently under beta test)
providing a way to identify comparable sites in other regions, allowing data from elsewhere to be used when no local growth information exists
offering access to an inference system to allow growth estimates to be made in the absence of empirical data (Plantgro and Infer).
The TROPIS index contains details about the objectives of experiments and plot systems; about the location, nature and species composition of plots within these systems; and details about relevant contact people. It does not contain any raw data, growth data, or information likely to infringe intellectual property rights. It includes information on re-measured plots, including species/provenance trials; thinning, spacing and other silvicultural experiments; and continuous inventory systems. The plots need not be current, but the location of the plot must be known, and the data should be available (any reproducible and durable media, from paper records to computer databases).