Transcaucasian Vegetation Database – a phytosociological database of the Southern Caucasus

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. Taxonomic reference: The Plant List (http://www.theplantlist.org/ [Accessed 10 Jan 2023]). Syntaxonomic reference: Mucina et al. (2016). Abbreviations: TVD = Transcaucasian Vegetation Database.

Discriminating woody species assemblages from National Forest Inventory data based on phylogeny in Georgia

“…Yalt. and oriental beech ( Fagus orientalis Lipsky) and hornbeam‐oriental beech forests (Bohn et al., 2007 ; Dolukhanov, 2010 ; Fischer et al., 2018 ; Nakhutsrishvili et al., 2021 ; Novák et al., 2023 ).…”

“…The forests of Georgia host large shares of endemic species and form part of the Caucasus biodiversity hotspot (Joppa et al, 2011;Myers, 2003). (Bohn et al, 2007;Dolukhanov, 2010;Fischer et al, 2018;Nakhutsrishvili et al, 2021;Novák et al, 2023).…”

Classification of forest and shrubland vegetation in central and eastern Euxine Turkey and SW Georgia

“…After checking the FVDT (http://www.givd.info/ID/00-TR-001), stored in the TURBOVEG database management program (Hennekens & Schaminée, 2001), we digitalized the missing published and unpublished vegetation plots from forests and shrublands of central and eastern Euxine Turkey. We also enriched the data set with vegetation plots from SW Georgian forests (Novák et al., 2019, 2021) and supplemented them with unpublished plots from the Transcaucasian Vegetation Database (https://www.givd.info/ID/AS-00-005, Novák et al., 2023). Vegetation plots from the intersections with other phytogeographical areas through the inland were also included in the data set.…”

“…givd. info/ ID/ AS-00-005, Novák et al, 2023). Vegetation plots from the intersections with other phytogeographical areas through the inland were also included in the data set.…”

“…Recently, a new database has been constituted to cover Transcaucasica (GIVD Transcaucasian Vegetation Database AS‐00‐005; Novák et al., 2023). In addition to studies carried out in the past, the database has been enriched with recent studies (Novák et al., 2019, 2021).…”