Vegetation databases: enhancing data integration and accessibility for ecological research
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Edited by Adrian Indreica, Kiril Vassilev, Pauline Delbosc, Federico Fernández-González, Irena Axmanová, Borja Jiménez-Alfaro, Gianmaria Bonari
Vegetation databases are enhanced collections of several hundred or even thousands of vegetation plots (phytosociological relevés). In many cases, these plots originate from small-scale studies or derive from unpublished projects or theses and they are focused on restricted areas; however, the accumulation of such data over time has often resulted in extensive coverage. This data has long-term applications, and its breadth can offer new perspectives or reveal more complex relationships and processes within ecosystems compared to the original studies. The primary motivation behind creating a database is to better understand vegetation variation along geographical and ecological gradients or to document vegetation changes due to specific treatments or natural events. Once created, a larger database can address more complex, in-depth, or multidisciplinary research questions. Compiling a database is a challenging task. It requires standardizing species and syntaxon names across all surveys, determining geographic coordinates, and sometimes adding new information (such as bedrock type, soil type, climate, and management practices). To recognize these efforts, the journal is launching this Topical Collection of papers describing new databases, thematic datasets, or significant upgrades of existing ones. The aim is to increase data accessibility and to encourage data exchange among scientists across broader areas and research fields.