Transcaucasian Vegetation Database – a phytosociological database of the Southern Caucasus

By

Novák, Pavel
Kalníková, Veronika
Szokala, Daniel
Aleksanyan, Alla
Batsatsashvili, Ketevan
Fayvush, George
Kolbaia, Sandro
Nakhutsrishvili, George
Sedláček, Vojtěch
Štěrba, Tadeáš
Zukal, Dominik

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2023-10-16

Original Publication

Vegetation classification and survey

Volume

4

Pages

231--240

Subjects

Biodiversity hotspot , Caucasus , database , European Vegetation Archive , Global Index of Vegetation-Plot Databases , Phytosociology , southwestern Eurasia , vegetation survey

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia Pensoft Publishers 2020-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/VCS.105521

 

Abstract

The Caucasus is a hotspot of global biodiversity. However, even in the era of big data, this region remains underrepresented in public vegetation-plot databases. The Transcaucasian Vegetation Database (GIVD code AS-00-005) is a novel dataset which primarily aims to compile, store and share vegetation-plot records sampled by the Braun-Blanquet approach and originating from Transcaucasia (the Southern Caucasus), i.e. the countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. The database currently contains 2,882 vegetation plots. The oldest plots originate from 1929, the newest from 2022, and their collection is ongoing. The data include mesophilous forests (phytosociological class Carpino-Fagetea) and various alpine and subalpine communities (e.g. Carici-Kobresietea, Loiseleurio-Vaccinietea) – selected other habitats are also represented. Most of the plots (84%) are georeferenced, 36% with high precision of 25 m or less. The database includes 2,500 taxon names; Asteraceae, Poaceae, Fabaceae and Rosaceae represent the most common families. Vascular plants are recorded in all plots, while data on species composition of bryophytes are available for 11% of plots. The database intends to contribute to the complex biodiversity research of this biologically unique territory. The data might be used in diverse projects in botany, biogeography, ecology and nature protection.<br> Taxonomic reference: The Plant List (http://www.theplantlist.org/ [Accessed 10 Jan 2023]).<br> Syntaxonomic reference: Mucina et al. (2016).<br> Abbreviations: TVD = Transcaucasian Vegetation Database.