Meetnetten.be - Population counts of priority vascular plants species in Flanders, Belgium

Frederic Piesschaert1, Wouter Van Landuyt1, Dimitri Brosens2, Toon Westra1, Peter Desmet1, Hannes Ledegen3, Roosmarijn Steeman4, Marc Pollet5

1 Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), , Belgium; 2 Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO)/ Belgian Biodiversity Platform, , Belgium; 3 Natuurpunt, , Belgium; 4 Natuurpunt, ; 5 Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), 

Corresponding author(s): Frederic Piesschaert (frederik.piesschaert@inbo.be)Wouter Van Landuyt (wouter.vanlanduyt@inbo.be)Dimitri Brosens (dimitri.brosens@inbo.be)Toon Westra (toon.westra@inbo.be)Peter Desmet (peter.desmet@inbo.be)Hannes Ledegen (hannes.ledegen@natuurpunt.be)Roosmarijn Steeman (roosmarijn.steeman@natuurpunt.be)Marc Pollet (marc.pollet@inbo.be), Dimitri Brosens, Peter Desmet

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

Piesschaert F, Van Landuyt W, Brosens D, Westra T, Desmet P, Ledegen H, Steeman R, Pollet M (2023). Meetnetten.be - Population counts of priority vascular plants species in Flanders, Belgium. Version 1.7. Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO). Samplingevent dataset. https://ipt.inbo.be/resource?r=meetnetten-vaatplanten-individuen-occurrences&v=1.7

Abstract

Meetnetten.be - Population counts of priority vascular plants species in Flanders, Belgium is a sampling event dataset published by the Research Institute of Nature and Forest (INBO). It is part of the Meetnetten.be suite of monitoring networks for priority species in Flanders, in which data are collected at fixed locations using a standardized protocol (https://meetnetten.be). This dataset data for 12 priority species. Here it is published as a standardized Darwin Core Archive and includes for each sampling event an eventID, date, location and sampling protocol (in the event core)and for each occurrence an occurrenceID, the exact number recorded, status (present/absent) and scientific name (in the occurrence extension). Issues with the dataset can be reported at https://github.com/inbo/meetnetten-occurrences/issues
Generalized and/or withheld information: as these are sensitive priority species, location information is generalized to 1, 5 or 10 km Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) grid cells. Original locations are available upon request.
We have released this dataset to the public domain under a Creative Commons Zero waiver. We would appreciate it if you follow the INBO norms for data use (https://www.inbo.be/en/norms-data-use) when using the data. If you have any questions regarding this dataset, don't hesitate to contact us via the contact information provided in the metadata or via opendata@inbo.be.
For all published Meetnetten.be datasets, see https://www.gbif.org/dataset/search?project_id=meetnetten.be

Keywords: Samplingevent, Tracheophyta, plants, monitoring, priority species

Project details

Project title: Meetnetten.be
Personnel: Frederic Piesschaert
Funding: Flemish Government
Study area descriptions/descriptor: Flanders, Belgium
Design description: Each monitoring network consists of fixed sample locations in which target species are counted based on a standardized protocol. Data collection relies mainly on specialized volunteers, coordinated by the NGO Natuurpunt Studie. Fieldwork is planned and monitored with the web tool https://meetnetten.be, which is also used for entering the collected data.

Data published through GBIF: https://ipt.inbo.be/resource?r=meetnetten-vaatplanten-individuen-occurrences

Taxonomic coverage

General taxonomic coverage description: The target plant species for Meetnetten.be are listed athttps://meetnetten.be/#group-5. Other plants observed during the sampling are also included. This dataset covers the plant surface protocol, for which there are 11 target species.
Taxonomic ranks
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta

Spatial coverage

General spatial coverage: Flanders, Belgium
Coordinates: 50°40'12''N and 51°30'36''N Latitude; 2°31'48''E and 5°56'24''E Longitude 

Temporal coverage: January 1, 2016 - December 31, 2022

Methods

Method step description: 
- . 	Researchers from INBO and Natuurpunt Studie define and document the appropriate sampling protocol for the target species.
- . 	Fieldwork is planned and coordinated by Natuurpunt Studie, using https://meetnetten.be.
- . 	Data is collected in the field by specialized volunteers, using the predefined sampling protocol.
- . 	Volunteers enter the collected data in https://meetnetten.be.
- . 	A custom SQL view is created in the meetnetten.be database to map the original data to Darwin Core as an event core, occurrence extension and measurement or fact extension.
- . 	The Darwin Core views are connected to the INBO IPT and documented with metadata.
- . 	The dataset is published and registered with GBIF.
Study extent description: Gentianella uliginosa	Duingentiaan	
Dune Gentian is a species of sunny places on moist to wet, nutrient-poor, alkaline, calcareous and slightly humid soil. The species grows mainly in coastal sand dunes (grey dunes and dune slacks). Dune Gentian is very rare in Flanders and is only known from the coastal dunes area. 

Bupleurum tenuissimum	Fijn goudscherm	Slender Hare's-ear
Slender Hare's-ear is a species of sunny, open, grassy sites on dry to moist, brackish soil. The species is in Flanders only known from the Zwin dunes, where it was rediscovered in 2011. Previously the species was considered extinct in Flanders. 

Orobanche rapum-genistae	Grote bremraap	
Greater Broomrape is a species of sunny places on dry, nutrient-poor, weakly acid sandy soil with open or shrubby vegetation. The species is parasitic on Common Broom. The species has become very rare in Flanders and is mostly limited to the Flemish district and the Campine district. 

Orchis morio	Harlekijn	
Green-winged Orchid is a species of sunny sites on moist,nutrient-poor, unfertilised, neutral to calcareous soil. The species was known from nutrient poor grasslands inland as well as moist coastal dune grasslands. Green-winged Orchid is very rare in Flanders, there are only a few localities left inland where only small populations survive. In 2015 one specimen was again spotted in a coastal dune slack, where the species had not been seen for more than 30 years. Unfortunately, the species disappeared here again after 2 years.

Herminium monorchis		Honingorchis	
Musk Orchid is a species of sunny sites on moist to fairly wet, nutrient-poor, calcareous soils. In Flanders, it is a species of coastal dune slacks. In Flanders, the musk orchid is rare and has declined considerably. It is only known from the dunes near De Panne, Koksijde and Oostduinkerke. 

Scorzonera humilis	Kleine schorseneer	
Dwarf Viper's-grass is a species of sunny, rarely slightly shaded sites on dry, nutrient-poor, weakly acid soil. It is a species of Molinia meadows. Dwarf Viper's-grass is very rare in Flanders and only known from the Brabant district and the Campine district. 

Diphasiastrum tristachyum	Kleine wolfsklauw	
Blue Clubmoss is a plant of sunny, open places on nutrient-poor, acid sandy soil. The species grows on heathlands and in open woodland patches, but in Flanders it is only recently known from three places, all in dry heathlands. 

Juncus capitatus	Koprus	
Dwarf Rush is a species of sunny to slightly shaded, open pioneer vegetation on moist to wet, moderately nutrient-poor, slightly acidic, whether or not humid sand or loamy soil. The species was extinct in Flanders but was rediscovered in 2008 after work in the Dassenaarde nature reserve, where it emerged from the seed bank in large numbers. Meanwhile, this locality is becoming overgrown and the population size is decreasing. 

Stratiotes aloides	Krabbenscheer	
Water Soldier is a species of sunny, sheltered places in shallow, stagnant or slowly flowing, moderately nutrient-rich to nutrient-rich, fresh water with a bottom of peat, river clay or sand. Natural populations of this species are very rare in Flanders, but the species is also often (illegally)  introduced, also outside its original range. 

Orchis purpurea	Purperorchis	
Lady Orchid is a species of open to moderately shaded sites on moist to dry, nutrient-poor,  on open calcareous grasslands and along forest edges. For Flanders the species is only known from Haspengouw and the Voerstreek. 

Hammarbya paludosa	   Veenmosorchis	
Bog Orchid is a species of sunny, fairly open places on wet, nutrient-poor, acidic peat. The species can grow in fens and bogs. It is very rare in the Kempen region, where it is only known from the Buitengoor in Mol. 

Platanthera bifolia	Welriekende nachtorchis	
Lesser Butterfly-orchid is a species of sunny to semi-shaded locations on moist,  nutrient-poor, unfertilized, humus-rich, slightly acidic to calcareous soil. It grows on more acidic soils than Greater Butterfly-orchid and can be found in grassy heaths, sparse grasslands, open places in forests or shrubs.
Sampling description: Sampling was done using the protocol described in Van Landuyt et al. (2019) and explained to volunteers in Ledegen et al. (2017).

To estimate population size, the Floron scale is used. For each growth site, depending on the species, you estimate the numbers or area using 6 categories. A = 1; B = 2-5; C = 6-25; D = 26-50; E = 51-500; F = 501-5000
Each growth site should be viewed once every 3 years.

Gentianella uliginosa ;Diphasiastrum tristachyum
Counting method: estimation of the number of individuals of Dune gentian per growth site from July till September. 

Bupleurum tenuissimum		
Counting method: Estimation of the number of individuals of Slender hare's-ear per growing site from June to September.  

Orobanche rapum-genistae; Orchis morio; Scorzonera humilis; Orchis purpurea	
Counting method: estimate the number of individuals per growth site in May and June.  

Platanthera bifolia; Herminium monorchis	
Counting method: estimate of the number of individuals in June and July.  

Juncus capitatus	
Counting method: Estimation of the number of individuals of dwarf rush per growing site from June to August.  

Stratiotes aloides		
Counting method: estimation of the number of individuals of water soldiers per growing site in August and September.  For water soldiers, binoculars can be used to estimate population.

Hammarbya paludosa	
Counting method: Estimation of the number of individuals of Bog Orchid per habitat in July and August.
Quality control description: Data are collected using a predefined sampling protocol.

Datasets

Dataset description
Object name: Darwin Core Archive Meetnetten.be - Population counts of priority vascular plants species in Flanders, Belgium
Character encoding: UTF-8
Format name: Darwin Core Archive format
Format version: 1.0
Distribution: https://ipt.inbo.be/archive.do?r=meetnetten-vaatplanten-individuen-occurrences
Publication date of data: 2023-12-04
Language: English
Licences of use: Public Domain (CC0 1.0)

Metadata language: English
Date of metadata creation: 2022-11-21
Hierarchy level: Dataset

References
Ledegen H. & R. Steeman 2017. Veldwerkhandleiding Meetnet planten. Natuurpunt Studie, Mechelen.
Van Landuyt W., Provoost S., Packet J., Maes D., De Bruyn L., De Knijf G., Onkelinx T., Piesschaert F., Pollet M., Van Calster H., Westra T. & Quataert P. (2015). Monitoringsprotocol vaatplanten. Rapporten van het Instituut voor Natuur- en Bosonderzoek 2015 (INBO.R.2015.10039812). Instituut voor Natuur- en Bosonderzoek, Brussel.
Van Landuyt, W. & Westra (2019). Monitoringsprotocol vaatplanten en mossen: Versie 2.0. Rapporten van het Instituut voor Natuur- en Bosonderzoek 2019 (47). Instituut voor Natuur- en Bosonderzoek, Brussel. DOI: doi.org/10.21436/inbor.17097948