InvenTree-meta Forest Database Launched

• 22 Jul 2026

In July 2026, researchers developed InvenTree-meta, India's largest meta-dataset of tree inventory studies, to strengthen forest research, biodiversity conservation and climate change studies.

Key Points

• About InvenTree-meta: It is India's largest meta-dataset of tree inventory studies, compiling data from 465 published studies conducted between 1991 and 2023.
• Database Coverage: The database covers more than 4,650 hectares of forests across all major Indian biomes, bringing together scattered tree inventory datasets.
• Research Institutions: The study was led by the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) in collaboration with other research institutions.
• Key Findings: More than 80% of the underlying datasets are not publicly accessible, limiting their use in regional and global ecological analyses.
• Knowledge Gaps: The study identified under-sampled biodiversity-rich regions, including the northern Western Ghats, northeastern India, the Western Himalayas and the Nicobar Islands.