Stand density and climate data in the Taylor Woods study area (Fort Valley Experimental Forest) on the Colorado Plateau in Northern Arizona, 1961-2011

These data were compiled for research pertaining to the effects of stand density on growth rates in semi-arid forests. Increasing heat and aridity in coming decades is expected to negatively impact tree growth and threaten forest sustainability in dry areas. Maintaining low stand density has the potential to mitigate the negative effects of increasingly severe droughts by minimizing competitive intensity. By inspecting growth rates and the climate and soil moisture conditions that drive these growth rates we can understand better the positive effects of reducing stand density and the specific dynamics that are beneficial to growth.