Council members work together to advance the goals of the ATBC, as set out in the Strategic Plan. Councilors are elected by ATBC members and they serve actively for three years, by attending the council meetings and being involved in committees and task forces.
| 2021-2023 | - Divya Vasudev, Conservation Initiatives (India) - João Campos Silva, Instituto Juruá (Brazil) - Amy Dunham, Rice University (USA) |
| 2020-2022 | - Catherine Cardelús, Colgate University, USA - Paul V.A. Fine, UC Berkeley, USA - Orou Gaoue, University of Tennessee, USA - I-Fang Sun, National Dong Hwa University, Taiwan |
| 2019-2021 | - Daisy Dent, University of Stirling, Scotland - Gabriel Colorado, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Colombia - Imma Oliveras, University of Oxford, UK - Onja Razafindratsima, South Dakota State University, USA |
| 2018-2020 | - Natalia Norden, Instituto Alexander von Humboldt, Colombia - Marcelo Tabarelli, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brazil - Edu Effiom, Cross River State Ministry of Climate Change, Forestry Commission, Nigeria - Sabrina Russo, University of Nebraska, USA |
| 2017-2019 | - Corine Vriesendorp, Field Museum, USA - Alice Hughes, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, China - Juan Posada, Universidad del Rosario, Colombia - Liza Comita, Yale University, USA |
| 2016-2018 | - Rebecca Ostertag, University of Hawaii at Hilo, USA - Zak Zahawi, University of Hawaii, USA - Patricia Wright, Stony Brook University, USA - Christina Martinez-Garza, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, México |
| 2015-2017 | - Bettina Engelbrecht, Universität Bayreuth, Germany - Saara DeWalt, Clemson University, USA - Lisa Davenport, Duke University, USA - Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz, University Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Malaysia |
| 2014-2016 | - Kyle Harms, Louisiana State University, USA - Jennifer Powers, University of Minnesota, USA - Yadvinder Malhi, University of Oxford, UK - Norbert Cordeiro, Roosevelt University, USA |
| 2013-2015 | - Christopher Baraloto, INRA, French Guiana - Karina Boege, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México - Sophie Calmé, Université de Sherbrooke, Canada - Stefan Schnitzer, University of Wisconsin, USA |
| 2012-2014 | - Marisol Toledo, Instituto Boliviano de Investigación Forestal, Bolivia - Pieter Zuidema, Wageningen University, The Netherlands - Simon Lewis, University of Leeds, UK - Vojtech Novotny, Institute of Entomology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic |
| 2011-2013 | - Claudia Romero, University of Florida, USA - Maria Uriarte, Columbia University, USA - Tuyeni Mwampamba, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico - William A. Hoffmann, North Carolina State University, USA |
| 2010-2012 | - Beth Kaplin, Antioch University New England, USA - Christopher W. Dick, University of Michigan, USA - Navjot S. Sodhi, National University of Singapore, Singapore - Nina Farwig, University of Marburg, Germany |
| 2009-2011 | - Emilio Bruna, University of Florida, USA - Pia Parolin, University of Hamburg, Germany - Stephen M. Turton, Australian Tropical Forest Institute at James Cook University, Australia - Susan G. Warriner Laurance, James Cook University, Australia |
| 2008-2010 | - Campbell ("CAM") O. Webb, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University stationed at Herbarium Bogoriense, Indonesia - Ellen Andersen, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México - Lúcia G. Lohmann, University of São Paulo, Brazil - Qing-Jun LI, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, China |
| 2007-2009 | - Arturo Sanchez-Azofeifa, University of Alberta, Canada - Julieta Benitez-Malvido, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México, Mexico - Min Cao, Xishuamgbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, China - Nigel Stork, James Cook University, Australia |
| 2006-2008 | - Frans Bongers, Wageningen University, The Netherlands - Kaoru Kitajima, University of Florida, USA - Priya Davidar, Pondicherry University, India - Richard Corlett, The University of Hong Kong, China |
| 2005-2007 | - Jin Chen, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, China - Marielos Peña-CLAROS, Instituto Boliviano de Investigacion Forestal, Bolivia - Patricia Morellato, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Brazil - Susan J. Mazer, University of California - Santa Barbara, USA |
| 2004-2006 | - José M. V. Fragoso, State University of New York, USA - Lourens Poorter, Wageningen University, The Netherlands - W. Scott Armbruster, University of Portsmouth, UK - William F. Laurance, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama |
| 2003-2005 | - Elizabeth K. V. Kalko, University of Ulm, Germany - Heraldo Vasconcelos, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Brazil - James L. Hamrick, University of Georgia, USA - Pierre-Michel Forget, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, France |
| 2000-2002 | - Guadelupe Williams-Linera, Instituto de Ecología, Mexico - Jess K. Zimmerman, University of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico - Rita Mesquita, INPA, Brazil |
| 1999-2001 | - Bette Loiselle, University of Missouri, USA - G. Wilson Fernandes, ICB / Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil - Michelle Pinard, University of Aberdeen, UK |
| 1998-2000 | - Duncan Mackay, Flinders University of South Australia, Australia - Laura Arriaga-Cabrera, Conabio, Mexico - S. Joseph Wright, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama |
| 1997-1999 | - Jorge Jimenez, Organization for Tropical Studies, Costa Rica - Pamela Hall, University of Aarhus, Denmark - Roberto Cavalcanti, Universidade de Brasília, Brazil |
| 1996-1998 | - Carol Horvitz, University of Miami, USA - Eduardo Santana, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico - Suzanne Koptur, Florida International University, USA |
| 1995-1997 | - David Neill, Herbario Nacional del Ecuador, Ecuador - Susanne Renner, University of Mainz, Germany - Victor Rico-Gray, Instituto de Ecología, Mexico |
| 1994-1996 | - Nalini Nadkami, Evergreen State College, USA - Otto Huber, Caracas, Venezuela - Robert B. Waide, San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| 1993-1995 | - Enrique Forero, New York Botanical Garden, USA - Gong Wooi-Khoon, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia - Mercedes Foster, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USA |
| 1992-1994 | - David P. Janos, University of Miami, USA - Francis E. Putz, University of Florida, USA - Lucinda McDade, University of Arizona, USA |
| 1991-1993 | - Frank Crome, CSIRO, Australia - Linda de Escobar, University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico - Rodolfo Dirzo, UNAM, Mexico |
| 1990-1992 | - Alwyn H. Gentry, Missouri Botanical Garden, USA - Robin Chazdon, University of California at Berkeley, USA - W. John Kress, Smihtsonian Insitution, USA |
| 1989-1991 | - Abraham Willink, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Argentina - Adelaida Chaverri, Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica - Harold F. Heatwole, University of England, Australia |
| 1988-1990 | - Deborah A. Clark, Organization for Tropical Studies, Costa Rica - Theodore H. Fleming, University of Miami, USA - Warren H. Wagner, University of Michigan, USA |
| 1987-1989 | - James Herbrard, University of Nairobi, Kenya - Madhav Gadgil, Indian Institute of Science, India - Margaret Lowman, The University of New England, Australia |
| 1986-1988 | - Ariel E. Lugo, USDA Forest Service, Institute of Tropical Forestry, Puerto Rico - Julian Steyermark, Missouri Botanical Garden, USA - Kamaljit S. Bawa, University of Massachusetts, USA |
| 1970 | - F. R. Fosberg, Smithsonian Institution, USA - William Hartley, Australia - D. S. Rabor, Mindanao State University, Philippines - Reina Torres de Araúz, Universidad de Panamá, Panamá - Paulo Emilio Vanzolini, Secretaria de Agricultura, Brazil - David Wasawo, University College, Kenya |
| 1965 | - Richard A. Howard (1965,1966 - William L. Stern (1965, 1966, - Abraham Willink (1965, 1966), Argentina |
| 1964 | - Marta Vennucci (1964, 1965, 1966) |
| 1963 | - A. C. Smith (1963, 1964, 1965) - Bassett Maguire (1963, 1964) - Joel W. Hedgpeth (1963, 1964), USA - John De Abate (1963, 1964, 1965) - Jose C. de N. Calvalho (1963, 1964, 1965), Brazil - Paul W. Richards (1963, 1964, 1965, 1966) - Tobias Laser (1963, 1964, 1965, 1966) |