The European Vegetation Archive (EVA) is a centralized database of European vegetation plots developed by the IAVS Working Group European Vegetation Survey. It has been in development since 2012 and first made available for use in research projects in 2014. It stores copies of national and regional vegetationplot databases on a single software platform. Data storage in EVA does not affect on-going independent development of the contributing databases, which remain the property of the data contributors. EVA uses a prototype of the database management software TURBOVEG 3 developed for joint management of multiple databases that use different species lists. This is facilitated by the SynBioSys Taxon Database, a system of taxon names and concepts used in the individual European databases and their corresponding names on a unified list of European flora. TURBOVEG 3 also includes procedures for handling data requests, selections and provisions according to the approved EVA Data Property and Governance Rules. By 30 June 2015, 61 databases from all European regions have joined EVA, contributing in total 1 027 376 vegetation plots, 82% of them with geographic coordinates, from 57 countries. EVA provides a unique data source for largescale analyses of European vegetation diversity both for fundamental research and nature conservation applications. Updated information on EVA is available online at http://euroveg.org/evadatabase.

Lysenko 91,92 | Armin Macanović 93 | Parastoo Mahdavi 94 | Peter Manning 35 | Corrado Marcenò 13 | Vassiliy Martynenko 95 | Maurizio Mencuccini 96 | Vanessa Minden 97 | Jesper Erenskjold Moeslund 54 | Marco Moretti 98 | Jonas V. Müller 99 | Abstract Aims: Vegetation-plot records provide information on the presence and cover or abundance of plants co-occurring in the same community. Vegetation-plot data are spread across research groups, environmental agencies and biodiversity research centers and, thus, are rarely accessible at continental or global scales. Here we present the sPlot database, which collates vegetation plots worldwide to allow for the exploration of global patterns in taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity at the plant community level.Results: sPlot version 2.1 contains records from 1,121,244 vegetation plots, which comprise 23,586,216 records of plant species and their relative cover or abundance in plots collected worldwide between 1885 and 2015. We complemented the information for each plot by retrieving climate and soil conditions and the biogeographic context (e.g., biomes) from external sources, and by calculating community-weighted means and variances of traits using gap-filled data from the global plant trait database TRY. Moreover, we created a phylogenetic tree for 50,167 out of the 54,519 species identified in the plots. We present the first maps of global patterns of community richness and community-weighted means of key traits. Conclusions: The availability of vegetation plot data in sPlot offers new avenues for vegetation analysis at the global scale. K E Y W O R D S biodiversity, community ecology, ecoinformatics, functional diversity, global scale, macroecology, phylogenetic diversity, plot database, sPlot, taxonomic diversity, vascular plant, vegetation relevé 166 |

At landscape and regional scales topography is recognized as one of the most important determinants of vascular plant diversity, primarily due to the influence of mountains. As temperature changes markedly over the elevation ranges in mountain areas, topography offers a wide variety of different habitats as well as buffering against climate change. However, for local vegetation, notably in lowland areas, the general importance of topography is less well recognized and the mechanisms by which it exerts influence on local vascular plant diversity are not comprehensively understood. In this review, we provide an overview of the evidence for the different mechanisms involved in topography’s control of local patterns in potential vegetation drivers, namely incident solar energy, wind exposure, hydrology, geochemistry, and biotic conditions. Furthermore, we review the processes through which these factors shape local terrestrial vascular plant diversity patterns and provide directions for future studies on this topic. We find that topography is an important factor for local vascular plant diversity patterns in a broad range of habitats throughout the world, even in relatively flat lowlands. However, the mechanisms involved are varied and complex. Local patterns in soil moisture seem to be affected by topography through more mechanisms than other topographically controlled factors and have a strong and consistent influence on local plant diversity. Hence, local hydrology is probably the main mechanistic factor through which topography influences local terrestrial vascular plant diversity patterns. Future research should focus on employing high‐coverage fine‐resolution topographic data to comprehensively explore the role of topography in controlling local dynamics over large areas. Moreover, we recommend including several different habitats, particularly those in which the role of topography is poorly understood. Finally, we propose to integrate relevant functional topographic variables such as topographic wetness indices instead of simple topographic measures into future investigations.

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Aims Phytosociological classification of fen vegetation (Scheuchzerio palustris‐Caricetea fuscae class) differs among European countries. Here we propose a unified vegetation classification of European fens at the alliance level, provide unequivocal assignment rules for individual vegetation plots, identify diagnostic species of fen alliances, and map their distribution. Location Europe, western Siberia and SE Greenland. Methods 29 049 vegetation‐plot records of fens were selected from databases using a list of specialist fen species. Formal definitions of alliances were created using the presence, absence and abundance of Cocktail‐based species groups and indicator species. DCA visualized the similarities among the alliances in an ordination space. The ISOPAM classification algorithm was applied to regional subsets with homogeneous plot size to check whether the classification based on formal definitions matches the results of unsupervised classifications. Results The following alliances were defined: Caricion viridulo‐trinervis (sub‐halophytic Atlantic dune‐slack fens), Caricion davallianae (temperate calcareous fens), Caricion atrofusco‐saxatilis (arcto‐alpine calcareous fens), Stygio‐Caricion limosae (boreal topogenic brown‐moss fens), Sphagno warnstorfii‐Tomentypnion nitentis (Sphagnum‐brown‐moss rich fens), Saxifrago‐Tomentypnion (continental to boreo‐continental nitrogen‐limited brown‐moss rich fens), Narthecion scardici (alpine fens with Balkan endemics), Caricion stantis (arctic brown‐moss rich fens), Anagallido tenellae‐Juncion bulbosi (Ibero‐Atlantic moderately rich fens), Drepanocladion exannulati (arcto‐boreal‐alpine non‐calcareous fens), Caricion fuscae (temperate moderately rich fens), Sphagno‐Caricion canescentis (poor fens) and Scheuchzerion palustris (dystrophic hollows). The main variation in the species composition of European fens reflected site chemistry (pH, mineral richness) and sorted the plots from calcareous and extremely rich fens, through rich and moderately rich fens, to poor fens and dystrophic hollows. ISOPAM classified regional subsets according to this gradient, supporting the ecological meaningfulness of this classification concept on both the regional and continental scale. Geographic/macroclimatic variation was reflected in the second most important gradient. Conclusions The pan‐European classification of fen vegetation was proposed and supported by the data for the first time. Formal definitions developed here allow consistent and unequivocal assignment of individual vegetation plots to fen alliances at the continental scale.

Citation: Moeslund, J. E., L. Arge, P. K. Bøcher, T. Dalgaard, M. V. Odgaard, B. Nygaard, and J.-C. Svenning. 2013.Topographically controlled soil moisture is the primary driver of local vegetation patterns across a lowland region. Ecosphere 4(7):91. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/ES13-00134.1Abstract. Topography is recognized as an important factor in controlling plant distribution and diversity patterns, but its scale dependence and the underlying mechanisms by which it operates are not well understood. Here, we used novel high-resolution (2-m scale) topographic data from more than 30500 vegetation plots to assess the importance of topography for local plant diversity and distribution patterns across Denmark, a 43000 km 2 lowland region. The vegetation data came from 901 nature conservation sites (mean size ¼ 0.16 km 2 ) distributed throughout Denmark, each having an average of 34 plots (five-meter radius) per site. We employed a variety of statistical measures and techniques to investigate scale dependence and mechanistic drivers operating within the study region. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) multiple regression modeling scaled at different spatial resolutions (2 3 2, 10 3 10, 50 3 50, 100 3 100 and 250 3 250 m) was used to identify the horizontal resolution yielding the strongest vegetation-topography relationships. Using data scaled at this resolution, we quantified local (within-site) and regional (among sites) relationships between elevation, mechanistic topographic factors (slope, heat index, potential solar radiation, wind exposure, wetness index) and 10 vegetation measures representing species composition, richness and functional composition (average plant preferences along key environmental niche axes). We also investigated how overall site-level environmental characteristics affect the strength of these local relationships. Topography exerted the strongest effects at the 10 3 10 m horizontal resolution scale. Elevation exerted the strongest influence on vegetation, followed by slope and wetness. Topography generally affected all vegetation measures and exhibited the strongest local relationships with the main species-compositional gradient, the main functional gradient and the plant's average soil moisture preference. The strength of these relationships was strongly influenced by habitat and site-level average moisture conditions, with the strongest relationships found in wet habitats. Our findings show that finescale topography can strongly influence local vegetation patterns across a wide range of habitat types even in low-relief lowland regions. Notably, topography exhibited a consistently strong relationship with the main local floristic and functional compositional gradients. While a plurality of underlying mechanisms may contribute to the relationship between topography and vegetation patterns, topographically controlled soil moisture exerts primary control on the relationship.

and 5 UR "Ecologie et dynamique des syst emes anthropis es" (EDYSAN, FRE 3498 CNRSSummary 1. Dark diversity is a promising concept for prioritising management efforts as it focuses on species that are present in the regional pool, but locally absent even though environmental requirements are met. Currently, we lack knowledge of what characterises species belonging to the dark diversity more often than others, although this is important knowledge for restoration and conservation actions. 2. We applied the concept to a massive national (Danish) plant diversity data base, containing 236 923 records from 15 160 surveys involving 564 species. This enabled the first geographically comprehensive (43 000 km 2 ) assessment of dark diversity, at a spatial resolution relevant for conservation and restoration planning (78 m 2 ) across multiple terrestrial habitats, thereby maximising the practical applications of this concept. The probability for a given plant species to belong to the dark diversity was computed and logistically regressed against variables representing its ecological preferences (e.g. nutrient availability), strategies (competitor, stress tolerant, ruderal), mycorrhizal relationships, establishment capacities (seed mass) and dispersal abilities. 3. Forty-six percent of the species had a high probability (>95%) of being part of dark diversity, whereas for 7% of the species this probability was less than 60%. 4. Typical dark diversity plant species tended to depend on mycorrhiza, were mostly adapted to low light and low nutrient levels, had poor dispersal abilities and were ruderals and stress intolerant. 5. Synthesis and applications. Characterising species that are more often absent from suitable sites than others (dark diversity species) has important implications for the planning and management of natural ecosystems. From our study, practitioners gain insight into the factors triggering the absence of individual plant species in a seemingly suitable habitat. We highlight the need to carefully consider mycorrhizal inoculations with a suitable assemblage of fungi to promote the establishment success of dark diversity plants. Additionally, time-lags in plant species dispersal and establishment as well as spatial connectivity in fragmented habitats are central to consider in nature management although assisted migration might also aid poor dispersers. Finally, nutrient-poor localities are probably important 'islets' allowing nitrophobic dark diversity plant species to thrive within agricultural landscapes that are generally nutrient-rich.

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