The phytosociological tradition in Europe vegetation databases and information systems Copenhagen, 3-4 October 2011, The EUNIS habitat classification, governance and future developments Joop Schaminée & John Rodwell

Vegetation databases Biological information systems

Vegetation databases 1915 Oldest relevés according to Braun-Blanquet 1928 Pflanzensoziologie – Grundzüge der Vegetationskunde 1992 First version of Turboveg (DOS-version) 1992 First meeting of European Vegetation Survey 1994 First questionnaire on overview of European vegetation data 1995 Update of the installation of Turboveg in Europe 1996 Turboveg for Windows 2002 The Diversity of European Vegetation and crosswalk to EUNIS 2009 Overview Vegetation-plot data and databases in Europa 2011 Global Index of Vegetation-Plot Databases (GIVD)

CountryRespondentTotal numberComputerizedTurboveg GermanyVarious800,000120,00060% NetherlandsSchaminée625,000560,00090% FranceVarious300,000200,0001% ItalyVarious200,0003,000100% SpainVarious150,00065,00025% Czech RepublicChytrý130,000100,000100% SwitzerlandWohlgemuth112,00068,0001% AustriaWillner100,00045,00080% Slovak RepublicVarious85,00055,000100% United KingdomRodwell80,00058,00044% PolandVarious80,00020,000100% RomaniaVarious70,0001,000100% UkraineYakushenko43,00010,0008%

BelgiumHoffmann40,00025,000100% HungaryCsiky38,00020,00050% LithuaniaRašomavičius34,00016,00045% RussiaErmakov32,00013,000100% IrelandVarious30,00012,000100% Bosnia-HerzegovinaRedzić27,0007,00020% GreeceVarious27,00023,000100% SloveniaČarni22,00012,000100% PortugalVarious20,0004,000100% LatviaPakalne18,0008,00035% LuxembourgRies15,00014,000100% CroatiaStancic12,0006,00050% BulgariaApostolova6,6003,700100% EstoniaPaal4,0002,5000% Total number > 3,100,000> 1,400,00045%

Data base driven Operational on different levels Incorporating a GIS platform Acting as electronic encyclopedia Generating new information by combining data sets Important for nature planning and policy making Biological information systems

SynBioSys Europe