Forest Structure and Species Composition along Disturbance Gradients in a Philippine Natural Biotic Area

This dataset contains field-based ecological data from 60 forest plots distributed across three disturbance classes (Low, Moderate, and High; n = 10 plots per class) and compiled into a single Excel file. Each row represents one plot and includes environmental variables (elevation, slope, distance to settlements and roads, years of nearby community residency, accessibility index), disturbance metrics (forest resource use intensity and Disturbance Pressure Index), and forest structural attributes (stem density, basal area, mean diameter at breast height, maximum tree height, canopy cover, proportion of large trees ≥ 40 cm DBH, and proportion of small stems 5–15 cm DBH). The dataset also includes indicator species analysis results identifying species significantly associated with disturbance classes using the IndVal method, including low-disturbance dipterocarps such as Shorea contorta, Dipterocarpus grandiflorus, and Hopea malibato, moderate-disturbance species such as Neonauclea sp. and Macaranga tanarius, and high-disturbance pioneer species such as Trema orientalis and Imperata cylindrica. The dataset supports analyses of disturbance gradients, forest structure variation, biodiversity patterns, and conservation planning.