EcoregionsTreeFinder—A Global Dataset Documenting the Abundance of Observations of > 45,000 Tree Species in 828 Terrestrial Ecoregions

Motivation: As recently defined in the Resource Manual for Target 2 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the primary outcome of “ecological restoration” is the conservation and restoration of biodiversity. The “golden rules of tree planting” reflected in The Global Biodiversity Standard advocate maximising native tree species. The Ecoregions2017^Resolve global map was developed to enhance systematic planning for terrestrial biodiversity conservation. EcoregionsTreeFinder is a unique new database that provides lists of native tree species for the ecoregions of the Ecoregions 2017 map. Besides being directly applicable to aid the planning or evaluation of restoration projects within the framework of the Ecoregions 2017 map, EcoregionsTreeFinder can be used in other applications, such as biogeographical investigations or to guide completion efforts of tree presence observations across ecoregions. Main Types of Variable Contained: Tree species records for 828 terrestrial ecoregions, showing the number of presence observations for 48,129 tree species. The 453,053 ecoregion-species records include information on the number of observations in different bioclimatic zones within each ecoregion for zones defined by the Climatic Moisture Index, average monthly temperatures > 10°C, and the Maximum Climatological Water Deficit. Also included with these records is information on the expected native distribution of species across ecoregions, allowing filtering of native tree species from a selected ecoregion. Spatial Location and Grain: Global, 6–3,922,506 km² (ecoregions), 30 arc-seconds (bioclimatic zones within ecoregions). Time Period and Grain: 1946–2021, presence observations filtered from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Major Taxa and Level of Measurement: 48,129 tree species, number of observations within ecoregions and within bioclimatic zones nested within ecoregions. Software Format: Three data sets (.txt) and 18 atlas sheets showing the distribution of bioclimatic zones within ecoregions (.pdf).