Skip to contents

Newsletter

newsletter.Rmd

CafriplotsR Newsletter

Updates on major milestones for the CafriplotsR package and the Central African forest plots database.

March 2026

New data

Tervuren xylarium Wood Density Database (TWDD) integrated

A large wood density dataset — the TWDD — has been added to the database. It contains 13,332 samples spanning 2,994 species, 1,022 genera, and 156 plant families across six continents, with 72% of records from Africa.

The TWDD adds 1,164 species, 160 genera, and 8 plant families not previously documented.

Before integration, the taxonomy of the TWDD was standardized against the CafriplotsR taxonomic backbone to ensure consistency with the rest of the database. A total of 12,970 values from the TWDD were added.

Citation requirement: Any use of this dataset must cite the original publication:

Verbiest W.W.M., Hicter P., Beeckman H. et al. (2026). The Tervuren xylarium Wood Density Database (TWDD). Scientific Data, 13, 243. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-026-06563-2

New capabilities

Citation tracking for taxa-level traits

Taxa-level trait measurements stored in the database are now linked to their original sources — published studies or trait databases from which values were extracted. When you enrich a species dataset or explore traits through the interactive apps (launch_taxo_backbone_app() and launch_taxonomic_match_app()), a dedicated Data Sources panel lists the citations involved and the number of measurements/observations from each source.

This makes proper attribution straightforward and unambiguous: the panel lists the full reference for each source so that users know exactly what to cite when using these data. This new development reinforces one of the core goals of this package, which is to facilitate the integration and reuse of diverse datasets. Achieving that requires being as transparent as possible about this integration and therefore respecting the data-sharing requirements of the underlying publications and databases.

For R users: The query_taxa_traits() function now accepts include_citation = TRUE to attach citation information directly to the returned data frame. Both wide and long output formats are supported.

Public access mode for two interactive Shiny apps

Two apps in the CafriplotsR toolkit can now be launched without database credentials — useful for collaborators, reviewers, or anyone who wants to explore the data without requesting a personal account:

  • Taxonomic backbone browser (launch_taxo_backbone_app()): Browse the full taxonomic reference, search by name or identifier, explore the taxonomic hierarchy, and extract taxa-level traits as wide or long tables with associated citations.

  • Taxonomic harmonisation & trait enrichment app (launch_taxonomic_match_app()): Upload a species list, standardise names against the CafriplotsR backbone, and enrich with traits from the database — all in a guided, step-by-step interface.

In public mode the apps connect automatically using read-only credentials, so no login is required. Both apps display a clear banner indicating that you are operating in public mode with read-only access.