Florabank1 - A grid-based database on vascular plant distribution in the northern part of Belgium (Flanders and the Brussels Capital region)

Wouter Van Landuyt1, Dimitri Brosens1, Leo Vanhecke2

1 Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Kliniekstraat 25, 1070, Brussels, Belgium; 2 National Botanic Garden Belgium (NBGB), Bouchout Domain, Nieuwelaan 38, 1860, Meise, Belgium

Corresponding author(s): Wouter Van Landuyt (wouter.vanlanduyt@inbo.be), Dimitri Brosens (dimitri.brosens@inbo.be)

Received {date}; Revised {date}; Accepted {date}; Published {date}

Citation: Combination of authors, year of data paper publication (in parentheses), Title, Journal Name, Volume, Issue number (in parentheses), and doi of the data paper.

Resource Citation

Van Landuyt W, Vanhecke L, Brosens D (2011) Florabank 1: a grid-based database on vascular plant distribution in the northern part of Belgium (Flanders and the Brussels Capital region). PhytoKeys 12: 59–67. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.12.2849 https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.12.2849

Abstract

Florabank1 is a database that contains distributional data on the wild flora indigenous species, archeophytes and naturalised aliens) of Flanders and the Brussels Capital Region. It holds about 3 million records of vascular plants, dating from 1800 till present. Furthermore, it includes ecological data on vascular plant species, redlist category information, Ellenberg values, legal status, global distribution, seed bank etc. The database is an initiative of "Flo.Wer" (http://www.plantenwerkgroep.be), the Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO) (http://www.inbo.be) and the National Botanic Garden of Belgium (http://www.br.fgov.be). Florabank aims at centralizing botanical distribution data gathered by both professional and amateur botanists and to make these data available to the benefit of nature conservation, policy and scientific research. The occurrence data contained in Florabank1 are extracted from checklists, literature and herbarium specimen information. Of survey lists, the locality name (verbatimLocality), species name, observation date and IFBL square code - the grid system used for plant mapping in Belgium (Van Rompaey 1943) - are recorded. For records dating from the period 1972–2004 all pertinent botanical journals dealing with Belgian flora were systematically screened. Analysis of herbarium specimens in the collection of the National Botanic Garden of Belgium, the University of Ghent and the University of Liège provided interesting distribution knowledge concerning rare species, this information is also included in Florabank1.
The data recorded before 1972 is available through the Belgian GBIF node (http://www.gbif.org/dataset/940821c0-3269-11df-855a-b8a03c50a862), not through Florabank1, to avoid duplication of information. A dedicated portal providing access to all currently published Belgian IFBL records is available at: http://projects.biodiversity.be/ifbl.
All data in Florabank1 is georeferenced. Every record holds the decimal centroid coordinates of the > IFBL square containing the observation. The uncertainty radius is the smallest circle possible covering the whole IFBL square, which can measure 1 km² or 4 km². Florabank is a work in progress and new occurrences are added as they become available; the dataset will be updated through GBIF on a regularly base.

Keywords: Occurrence, Observation, Tracheophyta, grid mapping, flora, indigenous species, archeophytes, naturalised aliens

General description

Purpose: The purpose of the Florabank database is the aggregation of occurrences data gathered by volunteers and/or professional botanists in order to make the data available for nature conservation, policy and research.
Additional information: To allow anyone to use this dataset, we have released the data to the public domain under a Creative Commons Zero waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). We would appreciate however, if you read and follow these norms for data use (http://www.inbo.be/en/norms-for-data-use) and provide a link to the original dataset whenever possible. If you use these data for a scientific paper, please cite the dataset following the applicable citation norms and/or consider us for co-authorship.
We are always interested to know how you have used or visualized the data, or to provide more information, so please contact us via the contact information provided in the metadata, opendata@inbo.be or https://twitter.com/LifeWatchINBO.

Data pertaining to Brussels with occurrences from 2003-2005 is owned by BIM-IBGE.
See: http://www.floraofbrussels.be/floraofbrussels/ for more information.

Data published through GBIF: http://data.inbo.be/ipt/resource?r=florabank1-occurrences

Taxonomic coverage

General taxonomic coverage description: The coverage of this database spans the Phylum Tracheophyta or vascular plants. The highest number of records are from the Magnoliopsida (76.48%) followed by Monocotyledones (20.92%), Filicopsida (1.44%), Sphenopsida (0.97%) Coniferopsida (0.13%) and Lycopsida (0.03%). Ginkgopsids are within the scope of Florabank, but do not occur within the geographical scope of the database.
Taxonomic ranks
Phylum: Tracheophytes
Class: Coniferopsida, Filicopsida, Ginkgopsida, Liliopsida, Lycopsida, Magnoliopsida, Sphenopsida
Order: Sapindales, Sarraceniales, Saxifragales, Scrophulariales, Theales, Thymelaeales, Urticales, Violales, Gymnospermae, Equisetales, Pinales, Taxales, Filicales, Marsileales, Ophioglossales, Osmundales, Salviniales, Ginkgoales, Alismatales, Arales, Commelinales, Cyperales, Hydrocharitales, Juncales, Liliales, Najadales, Orchidales, Poales, Pontederiales, Typhales, Typhales, Zingiberales, Isoetales, Lycopodiales, Selaginellales, Apiales, Aristolochiales, Asterales, Callitrichales, Campanulales, Capparales, Caryophyllales, Celastrales, Cornales, Cucurbitales, Dipsacales, Elaeagnales, Ericales, Euphorbiales, Fabales, Gentianales, Geraniales, Haloragales, Haloragales, Hamamelidales, Juglandales, Lamiales, Linales, Loganiales, Magnoliales, Malvales, Myricales, Myrtales, Nymphaeales, Oleales, Paeoniales, Papaverales, Piperales, Plantaginales, Plumbaginales, Polemoniales, Polygalales, Polygonales, Primulales, Ranunculales, Rhamnales, Rosales, Rubiales, Rutales, Salicales, Santalales
Family: Araucariaceae, Cupressaceae, Pinaceae, Taxodiaceae, Taxaceae, Adiantaceae, Aspleniaceae, Blechnaceae, Dennstaedtiaceae, Dryopteridaceae, Hymenophyllaceae, Polypodiaceae, Thelypteridaceae, Woodsiaceae, Marsileaceae, Ophioglossaceae, Osmundaceae, Azollaceae, Salviniaceae, Ginkgoaceae, Alismataceae, Butomaceae, Araceae, Lemnaceae, Commelinaceae, Cyperaceae, Hydrocharitaceae, Juncaceae, Agavaceae, Alliaceae, Amaryllidaceae, Dioscoreaceae, Iridaceae, Liliaceae, Aponogetonaceae, Juncaginaceae, Najadaceae, Potamogetonaceae, Ruppiaceae, Scheuchzeriaceae, Zannichelliaceae, Zosteraceae, Orchidaceae, Poaceae, Pontederiaceae, Sparganiaceae, Typhaceae, Cannaceae, Isoetaceae, Lycopodiaceae, Selaginellaceae, Apiaceae, Araliaceae, Aristolochiaceae, Asteraceae, Callitrichaceae, Campanulaceae, Lobeliaceae, Brassicaceae, Capparaceae, Resedaceae, Aizoaceae, Amaranthaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Molluginaceae, Nyctaginaceae, Phytolaccaceae, Portulacaceae, Aquifoliaceae, Celastraceae, Cornaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Adoxaceae, Caprifoliaceae, Dipsacaceae, Valerianaceae, Elaeagnaceae, Actinidiaceae, Clethraceae, Empetraceae, Ericaceae, Monotropaceae, Pyrolaceae, Buxaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Caesalpiniaceae, Fabaceae, Betulaceae, Fagaceae, Apocynaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Gentianaceae, Balsaminaceae, Geraniaceae, Limnanthaceae, Oxalidaceae, Tropaeolaceae, Gunneraceae, Haloragaceae, Hippuridaceae, Hamamelidaceae, Platanaceae, Juglandaceae, Boraginaceae, Lamiaceae, Verbenaceae, Linaceae, Buddlejaceae, Calycanthaceae, Magnoliaceae, Malvaceae, Tiliaceae, Myricaceae, Lythraceae, Onagraceae, Trapaceae, Cabombaceae, Ceratophyllaceae, Nymphaeaceae, Oleaceae, Paeoniaceae, Fumariaceae, Papaveraceae, Saururaceae, Plantaginaceae, Plumbaginaceae, Convolvulaceae, Cuscutaceae, Hydrophyllaceae, Menyanthaceae, Polemoniaceae, Solanaceae, Polygalaceae, Polygonaceae, Primulaceae, Berberidaceae, Menispermaceae, Ranunculaceae, Rhamnaceae, Vitaceae, Amygdalaceae, Malaceae, Rosaceae, Rubiaceae, Anacardiaceae, Rutaceae, Simaroubaceae, Zygophyllaceae, Salicaceae, Loranthaceae, Santalaceae, Aceraceae, Hippocastanaceae, Sapindaceae, Staphyleaceae, Droseraceae, Crassulaceae, Grossulariaceae, Hydrangeaceae, Saxifragaceae, Bignoniaceae, Globulariaceae, Lentibulariaceae, Martyniaceae, Orobanchaceae, Pedaliaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Elatinaceae, Hypericaceae, Thymelaeaceae, Cannabaceae, Moraceae, Ulmaceae, Urticaceae, Begoniaceae, Cistaceae, Frankeniaceae, Loasaceae, Passifloraceae, Tamaricaceae, Violaceae, Ephedraceae, Equisetaceae
Common names: vascular plants

Spatial coverage

General spatial coverage: Florabank deals with distribution data of the wild flora of Flanders and the Brussels Capital Region (Federal states of the Kingdom of Belgium). Florabank covers an area of 13.682 km². Flanders has a temperate maritime climate influenced by the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, with relatively moderate summers and mild winters. Flanders is the northern part of Belgium. The two main geographical regions of Flanders are the Yser basin, in the North-West and the central plain. Flanders is divided in 6 ecoregions (Dunes district; Kempens district; Loam district; River Maas; Polder district, Sand and Loam district). The Brussels Capital region is a small region (162 km²) surrounded Flanders and is entirely situated in the Loam district. The majority of this region is highly urbanized and only the southern part is occupied by a large beech forest.
Coordinates: 50°40'48''N and 51°30'36''N Latitude; 2°32'24''E and 5°55'12''E Longitude 

Living time period: 1800 - now

Methods

Method step description: All records are validated before they are added to Florabank. The basic reference for quality control is the Belgian atlas (VAN ROMPAEY & DELVOSALLE 1972). New data to be entered into the database are first submitted to a preliminary, automatic control. Observations pertaining to common species which were previously validated to occur in the neighbouring grid cells of 4 x 4 km squares over the last 35 years are automatically validated. Observations of species that are considered rare, or common species that have not been recorded in the neighbouring grid cells since 35 years are subjected to a manual control by experts. If the record concerns a location validated by other sources (e.g. recent herbarium specimens, peer reviewed papers) it is validated by the managers of the database, if not the observers can be asked to provide extra proof of their observation (e.g. herbarium specimens or photographs). Once an observation is validated (automatically or by the database manager) it can be considered for the validation of new observations.
Study extent description: The purpose of the Florabank database is the aggregation of occurrences data gathered by volunteers and/or professional botanists in order to make the data available for nature conservation, policy and research.
Sampling description: The spatial coverage of the territory has evolved through time. The data from the period before 1939 pertains mostly to herbarium specimens and  reflects only part of the vascular plant composition of the region. From 1939 onwards most observations are collected using a standardized protocol based on the methodology used for the Atlas of the flora of Belgium and Luxemburg (VAN ROMPAEY & DELVOSALLE 1972). The atlas area is covered by a grid of 4 x 4 Km squares, which is further subdivided into 1 x 1 Km squares. All species observed during a visit to a grid cell of 1 km² were recorded without distinguishing between common or rare species. In each 4 x 4 km square, more than one 1 km² squares were surveyed. The inventories dating from the period 1939-1971 fed the Atlas of the flora of Belgium and Luxemburg (VAN ROMPAEY & DELVOSALLE 1972) (figure 2), while those from 1972-2004 served to produce that by VAN LANDUYT et al. (2006) (figure 3). During the first period (figure 2) only one survey of 1km² in each grid of 4 x 4km was required, during the second period we attempted to obtain data from at least four 1 km² grids in each grid of 4x4 km. From 2005 onwards we continued to gather data using the same protocol.
Quality control description: All records are validated.

Datasets

Dataset description
Object name: Darwin Core Archive Florabank1 - A grid-based database on vascular plant distribution in the northern part of Belgium (Flanders and the Brussels Capital region)
Character encoding: UTF-8
Format name: Darwin Core Archive format
Format version: 1.0
Distribution: http://data.inbo.be/ipt/archive.do?r=florabank1-occurrences
Publication date of data: 2017-08-31
Language: English
Licences of use: Public Domain (CC0 1.0)

External datasets

Dataset description
Object name: IFBL data portal
Character encoding: UTF-8
Format name: various formats
Distribution: http://projects.biodiversity.be/ifbl

Metadata language: English
Date of metadata creation: 2011-08-17
Hierarchy level: Dataset

References
Van Landuyt, W., Vanhecke, L., Hoste, I., & Bauwens, D. (2011) Do the distribution patterns of vascular plant species correspond to biogeographical classifications based on environmental data? A case study from northern Belgium. Landscape and Urban Planning, 99, 93-103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2010.08.020 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2010.08.020
Van Landuyt, W., Hoste, I., & Vanhecke, L. (2007) Evolution générale de la flora de Flandre (Belgique) entre 1939-1971 et 1972-2004: évaluation des changements en tenant compte de l'intensité d'inventaire. L.A.S.E.R., Actes du colloque GEOFLORE 2007, 2007, 119-123.
Hoste, I.; Van Landuyt, W.; Verloove, F. (2006). Landschap en flora in beweging, 19de en 20ste eeuw, in: Van Landuyt, W. et al. (Ed.) (2006). Atlas van de flora van Vlaanderen en het Brussels Gewest. pp. 45-67
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