Except for minor disturbances associated with selective logging on two plots, the Tropical Rainforest Plot Network plots were established in old growth forest and all plots have thereafter been protected. Plots have been regularly censused and at each census the diameter at breast height of all stems is recorded. The data collected from the 20 plots provides an insight into the floristical composition, structure and long term forest dynamics of Australian tropical rainforests and allows direct comparisons to be made with long-term monitoring plots at a global scale. Temporal visits were initially conducted every 2 years, then every 5 years from 1990. Between 2012 and 2018 the Tropical Rainforest Plot Network is a member of Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN), Australia, a facility of the Australian Government's Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN).

The Connell Rainforest Plot Network is a member of Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN), Australia (http://www.ltern.org.au), a facility of the Australian Government's Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN), (http://www.tern.org.au). The long-term forest dynamics plot at O'Reilly's is located in the subtropical rainforest near O’Reilly’s Guest House in Lamington National Park, 65 km south of Brisbane. It consists of two 1-ha plots spaced approximately 600 m apart, but for analyses they have always been treated as a single unit. This plot has never been logged, but some selective logging has occurred just outside the plot boundary. Temporal visits occur between 1 to 6 years.